One Bread, One Body
by Ivy Kendall
Summary: A new murder puts the team on edge, drawing a line down the middle of the squad as it creates misunderstandings and greater respect for the unknown. (This is dedicated to my dear professor and mentor, who died recently.) Now Complete
1. Chapter 1

Ringing in the distance got louder as Sharon slowly came to consciousness. "Yes" she uttered into the phone, not fully awake.

"Sorry Captain," the disembodied voice of Lt. Provenza came on the other end.

"Another one, Lieutenant?" Sharon asked, quickly coming to her senses.

"Yeah, and this one is quite disturbing."

"I'll be right there, text me the address."

Sharon was getting used to the routines and erratic hours of Major Crimes. She flicked the switch of the coffee maker as she made her way to wake Rusty. She hated to do it, but after he complained when he found a note rather than her in the morning on those days she was called out, she had agreed to his request to at least attempt to let him know when she was leaving.

The deed done, although wondering if Rusty was even alert enough to know what she had said, she returned to her bathroom and quickly jumped in the shower. What was it about murderers who liked their victims discovered in the pre-dawn hours, she wondered sardonically. Just once she would like a leisurely 11AM start to her day.

Dressing at a speed that would have any model impressed, Sharon pulled her hair back into a neat chignon on her way to the kitchen. She poured coffee into her travel mug with one hand while she wrote a quick note to Rusty in the other. "Take that, multitaskers of the world" she laughed to herself, then grabbed her handbag from the table. Feeling the bottom she made sure her gun and identification were in their customary place, then listened for a second to hear the soft snores of Rusty down the hall. She let herself out of her condo, locked the door, and headed off to the latest crime scene.

"That can't be right," Sharon said to herself and double checked the address Provenza had texted her. She had driven to a more underdeveloped part of the city, and pulled into what appeared to be a convent. Looking around she saw the cars of her team, and knew she was in the right place.

Det. Sykes met her in the parking lot. "Good morning, Ma'am. The Lieutenant asked me to meet you and bring you in."

"And what do we have, Detective?" Sharon asked, all business.

"Someone with a really sick sense of humour."

Sharon grabbed gloves as she entered the front doors of the convent, and stopped long enough to put coverings over her spiked heals, then followed Det. Sykes into the chapel. She watched her team standing around the alter at the front, and after crossing herself, Sharon proceeded up the aisle to see what they were staring at.

Noting her arrival, her team moved back to let her through.

"For the love of God..." she uttered, looking at the naked woman splayed in a supine position on the communion table in front of her."

"Ma'am," Sykes started, but Sharon raised her hand to silence the younger woman.

Walking closer, Sharon looked at the body. Her eyes were wide open, as was her mouth, as though something had been forced inside. Wounds were clearly visible in the middle of both hands and ankles. Marks around her ankles and wrists looked like rope burns. A large stab wound on her right side where she had bled all over the white cloth on the table.

"Stigmata?" she asked.

"Not sure," Sanchez answered.

"This table has been prepared," Sharon announced.

"What?" Provenza asked, but Sanchez nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am. The candle had been lit too."

Flynn and Sanchez looked at each other with meaning, while the others remained confused.

"Buzz, did you get everything around the table?" Sharon asked.

"Yes, Captain."

"Could you come back and get a better view of the cup and plate, please."

Not understanding their significance, Buzz did as he was asked.

"Ma'am," Sanchez touched Sharon's elbow lightly as he held an evidence bag for her to see, "this was balled inside the victim's mouth."

Sharon held the bag and looked at the printed words 'I Cor 14', then closed her eyes. "This is a hate crime," she declared.

"Captain," Provenza couldn't help himself, "how can you possibly come to that conclusion? We've not been here long enough. We've just started collecting evidence. The... the ME hasn't even completely pronounced the scene. Don't you think you're jumping ahead of yourself?"

"No Lieutenant," she replied coolly, "I think I'm very well aware of this situation and what is going on. Det. Tao, is there any security footage?"

"No, Captain."

"I'm not surprised. Okay everyone, gather everything you can. Buzz, please take pictures of the table after the body has been removed."

"After, Captain?"

"Yes, Buzz."

"Captain," Provenza began again, "are you going to take over the crime scene? If so, just let me know."

For the first time Sharon looked at him surprised. "No Lieutenant, you're in charge of the scene, as always. Why do you ask?"

"Well it seems you've jumped ahead of procedure quite a bit. What am I not seeing?"

"I'm sorry Lt. Provenza. Please do your usual thorough job. I'm not trying to get in your way or take over the scene, I'm just certain this is a hate crime and I think we'll find when you identify the victim, that she held a position of power in the Church."

"And you know that because..." he asked.

"Too much history and theology to get into right now, Lieutenant, but let's just say whomever killed this woman was trying to stop her from leading, and probably presiding as a priest."

Provenza was quite concerned about the way Sharon was acting, so he touched her on the elbow to move her further away from the rest of the team members. "Captain, that's quite a set of assumptions you're working with. We have nothing yet to connect her to a religious order."

"And I doubt you will. This woman is not a Nun in the typical sense of the word. This woman was most likely a reformer and she was murdered for it."

Flynn had joined them as the Captain spoke. "I think she's right," he said.

"You too? Either you're off your rockers or I'm in way over my head."

Sharon smiled grimly at her second in command. "I doubt you're in over your head, Lt. Provenza, and at no point would I be considered 'off my rocker'. I'm just telling you the reason this crime occurred. Who did it, when, and where are still up for grabs, and that's what you do best.

"Alright," Provenza nodded. "This is some church thing, right?"

Sharon nodded, crossing her arms and tilting her head as she gave him her full attention.

"I haven't been in one since... since... oh I can't remember when. Can you just tell me what you're seeing?"

"Lieutenant, I'm seeing an alter set for Mass from Maundy Thursday, I'm seeing a female presider where most traditions will only accept men, I'm seeing a woman mutilated in the way Christ was on the cross, I'm seeing Scripture that says women should remain silent shoved in her mouth to truly silence her, I'm seeing religious controversy that has torn the church apart for millennia, and unless I miss my guess, I'm seeing a woman sexual assaulted as a reminder of what she was made for."

"And you get all that looking at that body?" Provenza asked.

"Geez," Andy shook his head. "I didn't even register what day it was."

"This murder is covered in symbolism, Lieutenant," Sharon continued. "We're looking for someone or many someones, who are extremely angry with the way the church has developed in North America."

"You can be that sure?"

"Oh yes, I can be."


	2. Chapter 2

"Bad news or worse news?" Dr. Morales asked as they entered the Morgue. The young woman now draped in a blanket, lay on the table in front of them.

"Where's a tomb when you need one," Andy said to Sharon.

"Mmmm..."

"What?" Morales asked.

"Some religious thing," Provenza waved it away. "What can you tell us?"

"Well, I can confirm sexual assault. No signs of struggle so my guess is Rohypnol or something in that family. The Tox Screen isn't back yet, but considering how long she was lying on the table in the church, I'm guessing we won't have confirmation."

"What about the marks on her wrist and ankles, and the holes in her hands?" Sharon asked.

"The wrists and ankles were definitely rope burns. I can't tell if they were related to the sexual assault or not. If drugs were in the system then she wouldn't have needed to be tied down, but if she was tied down, why are their no signs of struggle? You people will have to figure this one out. All I can tell you was she was definitely tied tightly for some time."

"Together or apart?" Andy asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Were her hands and feet tied together or might they have been tied to something else?"

"Oh... I can't be 100% positive, but if I was to guess, I'd say the ankles were tied together but the wrists weren't. See how the lines on the wrist go straight across?"

Provenza, Flynn and Raydor nodded as they looked closer.

"If the wrists were tied together, the marks on one or both arms would have an elevation in order to compensate for the angle of the rope."

"If her legs were tied together, that kinda rules out being tied down then raped," Flynn commented.

"What type of rope do you think, Doctor?" Sharon asked.

"It was rough and low quality, and some fibers were still embedded in her skin. Something used on ranches or farms, I'm thinking. Standard stuff, but when the lab finishes testing it we might know more."

"And the hands?"

"That one is strange to me. There doesn't seem to be any damage to the hands itself aside from the gaping hole."

"How can you not have damage to the hands when they look like that?" Provenza wanted to know.

"Pilgrims in the Philippines have themselves nailed to a cross to show penitence, Lieutenant. They study the hands carefully so the nails only go through the flesh of the hands and don't break bones."

"And the church encourages that?" Provenza asked, horrified.

"No, the church had repeatedly condemned it as folk worship and against accepted behaviour, but people still do it, and since it attracts tourist money, few seem interested in stopping it."

"Sounds like barbarism to me," Provenza replied, shaking his head.

"It does to me too, Lieutenant," Raydor agreed.

"I've read about that," Morales offered, "but this is different. They use nails but this was done with spikes. And the holes are cauterized, which means they had the spikes in fire before they pounded them into her hands."

Sharon closed her eyes for a minute to absorb the information. "Some one went to a lot of trouble for this woman's death. And the ankles?"

"Broken when the spike went through."

"Oh my God," Sharon said, as she covered her mouth to keep from vomiting.

Andy couldn't keep his hands to himself, and immediately started rubbing her shoulders, while Provenza and Morales exchanged looks.

"I'll be alright, Lt. Flynn, thank you," Sharon said as she looked up at him. "Doctor, any wood splinters on the body?"

"Um... no, not that I've found. But I should tell you that when I align the ankles with the rope burns, the spike that went through lines up as well, meaning whoever did this to her only used upwards of three spikes."

"Any idea what kind?" Flynn asked.

"Again, they were pretty basic. Straight shaft, nothing marking them as extraordinary. I'm not sure how they were taken out again since there are no markings on the body. Bruising would have appeared by now even if it was immediately post-mortum."

"Could she have been rolled over and the nails banged out the way they went in?" Provenza suggested.

"That's possible. But they would have to use a secondary tool since the hands and ankles have no extra marks"

"She would have had to be on a soft surface for that to happen, I should think. Any fibers other than the rope?"

"No Captain, not that I've found. The body has been washed, and unless my nose is mistaken, there is a perfume on it... myrrh perhaps? It smells a little spicy."

"What can you tell us about the stab wound on her side, Doctor?"

"Well Captain, that was quite interesting. You're looking for a sword of some kind. The cut was the last damage done to her body as her heart stopped, and the puncture went directly to her heart, which accounts for the amount of blood on the table around her."

"So the stabbing was done at the crime scene, but the rest was done somewhere else?"

"Yes, I believe that's safe to say."

"Okay," Sharon nodded, "we're looking for a second crime scene, some place secluded where the murder could rape her and perform this ritualistic mutilation. Considering he knew how to slice right to the heart and leave the hands unbroken, we're talking about someone with a knowledge of anatomy. Someone who also well versed in Christian symbolism. Most people don't realize Jesus was sliced through the side just after he died, but this killer obviously does."

"So, what are we talking about here... medical student? Theology student? Sociopath?" Flynn asked.

"Could be all three. Could be one person or more than one. Doctor," Sharon turned to Morales, "can you tell us if this was the work of one person or more?"

"I can't say Captain. I can tell you she was not gang raped. That doesn't mean she wasn't raped a few times, but it would have been by the same person with the same degree of penetration. He used a condom because I didn't find any sperm or foreign cells in the vagina."

"Any residue from the condom?"

"No, I didn't find any evidence of lubricant."

"He really wanted her to suffer," Sharon acknowledged. "Thank you, Doctor."

"Captain, I think I owe you an apology," Provenza said when they left the room.

"Why Lieutenant?"

"You called it immediately, and I didn't see that this was a ritual killing, and a very specific ritual killing at that."

"It wasn't just me, Lt. Provenza. Lt. Flynn and Det. Sanchez saw it too. But the killing style just provides a series of clues, we still have to proceed like this was any other murder."

Nodding, Provenza left the room in search of the others to report their findings.

"You sure about that?" Andy asked once they were alone.

"Sure about what?"

"You sure this is just like any other case?"

"Why, think it's too personal for me?"

"Nope. I know you're professional and your reaction in there would never have happened in public. Whoever did this is sick and methodical, and it can't help but effect someone like you."


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay everyone, what do we have?" Sharon asked as she marched into the murder room, Flynn directly on her heals as always.

"Tao and I didn't get very far with ID on our vic, Captain," Skyes began. "The only thing anyone would tell us is that someone named Joan was their leader, and she was leading the congregation last night. When we showed the picture, people started acting weird but no one would tell us if that was her or not."

"Okay Amy, go back again with Julio and see what you can find out."

"Captain, we asked everyone," Tao protested.

"I'm sure you did, Mike. That's not the point. We need someone to positively ID this woman, and I think Det. Sanchez has a better shot at getting a response."

"Why is that, Captain?" Provenza asked, feeling defensive for Tao.

Sharon took a few minutes to collect her thoughts, then looked over at Andy for confirmation. Pursing her lips as he waved his hand in invitation, she nodded and turned back to Provenza. "In for a penny, in for a pound. Okay, here's the plan truth of the matter. We are dealing with religious people and religious people have their own language, kind of an inside speak. Religious people talk in symbolism and metaphors that are not shared by the general public."

"So what you're trying to say is that you, Flynn and Sanchez talk the talk and the rest of us are on the outside." Provenza crossed his arms at the insult.

"Louie," Sharon rarely used his first name, and only when she really needed him to hear what she was saying, "if this murder had happened at a Buddhist Temple or a Jewish Synagog, the first thing I would do would be to get people of that faith in here to act as consultants. It's hard to explain, but when you are part of a faith community, you become a sort of... an extended family. We all share a common history and have shared stories, we talk in references and metaphors. Even our humour is very contextualized. Whomever murdered this woman knew a lot about Christian rituals, especially around the sacraments. We are dealing with an insider, so we need people who have an inside knowledge to work this."

"And what... the rest of us are just supposed to sit back and let the three of you solve this one?"

"No, we can't. That's too much. All I'm suggesting is that we pair up specifically."

"I've got to tell you, Captain. I feel like my intelligence has just been insulted," Provenza said, as he threw the papers he was holding down on his desk.

"Look, it's like baseball," Flynn intervened.

"Like baseball? What the hell are you talking about?"

"You and I, we love the game, right? We know scores, we know players, we know the rules. Now, you talk to someone who doesn't know the rules, someone who's never held a bat before. We can't talk to them about baseball like we would each other, see what I'm saying? We can't talk baseball stats with someone who doesn't even know the difference between the infield and the outfield."

"That's bullshit Flynn, and you know it. It doesn't take a genius to understand what the church is all about. All you have to do is turn on the TV and someone is preaching about hell and salvation, or some government official is taking an oath on a Bible they probably have never opened, or some show is doing a funeral and everyone is dressed in black like they're supposed to be. You can't turn around without having religion thrown in your face, so don't tell me I can't possibly understand it."

"That's part of the problem. Everyone thinks they know it, but they don't. There is so much crap being spread about the church you can't tell from one minute to the next what is real and what isn't."

"Lieutenant," Sharon took up the argument again, "this murder is saturated in symbolism that only someone truly inside would know. We have to approach this with a different set of eyes."

"I've worked in homicide for a very long time, Captain. I know my way around a murder scene," Provenza glared at her.

"Yes you do, we all know that. So can we put this discomfort to the side and work on it together?"

"Discomfort? Is that what you want to call it? You're saying that only you, Flynn and Sanchez can properly figure this out and you want to call it 'discomfort'?" he practically yelled at her.

Sharon tented her hands and leaned her forehead down.

"And what... now you're _praying_ that I'll understand, is that it?"

"Give it a rest, old man. She's not praying, she trying to find the words to keep from telling you you're being an asshole."

"I'm being an asshole?" Provenza marched over and glared directly at Flynn. "You think you know what's going on? You go to the game on Sunday mornings, you don't even go to church and I'm just supposed to believe you know something I don't?"

"Who says I don't go to church?" Flynn asked him. "Look, my mother was Italian, my father Irish, and I was married to a Lutheran. Believe me I know my way around Mass. Why do you think I take my lunch breaks at the same time every day? There's a mission just around the corner that does Daily Office and I drop in when I can."

"Daily Office? What the hell is Daily Office."

"That's the point he's trying to make, Sir," Sanchez spoke up. "Daily Office is what we call going to worship. I'm Catholic, and I attend Mass regularly, too."

"Well we all know you do, Sanchez. You've got the whole cross around your neck and have those saint cards in your desk, and you do that kneeling thing whenever you go in a church."

"It's called Genuflecting, Sir, and it's not a Cross, it's a Crucifix."

"What's the difference?"

"A Cross is empty, Sir. A Crucifix has the body of Christ."

"So?" Provenza still wasn't understanding the difference.

Sharon added, "Lt. Provenza, a Cross is worn by Protestants and recognizes Easter morning, while a Crucifix is worn by Catholics and Orthodox to remember Good Friday."

"Seriously?" Sykes finally spoke up. "There's different jewelry depending on what church you belong to?"

"Yes Detective," Sharon smiled at her. "It's not a purist thing. I've seen Protestants wear the Crucifix and Catholics wear nothing, but there is a standard. Look Lieutenant," Sharon returned her attention to Provenza, "we aren't talking about fashion and entertainment, we're talking about more than 2000 years of tradition. None of us can brief you enough for you to catch everything, it would take too long. We are going to handle this by going in pairs. Lt. Flynn, Det. Sanchez and I will team with anyone else. It's the fastest way we can do this. It's practical, and since I am in charge, it's what I'm telling you do to. Now, is this discussion over?"

"Fine Captain," Provenza glared at her, "but know this, you just drew a line right through this division and you can't take it back."


	4. Chapter 4

"Here, I think you need this," Flynn said as he held forward a coffee cup.

"Thanks," Sharon took it. "How did we get here?"

"I don't know," he responded, flopping down in the chair in front of her desk. "I thought what you said made complete sense. I mean, when we go into a neighbourhood that speaks Spanish, everyone knows Sanchez is the guy. When we are in Chinatown, no one questions Tao having an edge. We're a pretty diverse team, and we play to our strengths. Sykes does undercover really well because she looks a lot more vulnerable than she really is, and Provenza can see that making sense. I do mob stuff when the Italians are involved. It's the whole religion thing. I haven't seen anything that can piss people off faster than religion. Even money and sex don't get ugly this fast."

Sharon sighed and leaned back in her seat. "Could I have handled it better?"

"How? You said what needed to be said, and at the end of the day solving this murder is what we're here to do, not keep everyone egos happy."

"I know, but drawing a line through this division... that's the last thing I wanted to do."

"That's Provenza being dramatic. You didn't do anything like that. Once he gets over himself he'll smarten up. He does this, you know, goes for the big melodrama then has to find his way out of the corner he paints himself into. We see it every time he threatens to quit."

Sharon chuckled at that. "Yeah, I remember the last time. I think he's still pretending to find a place in the LAPD that's 'fair'."

"Let him blow off steam. He'll come around."

"I do hope you're right, Lieutenant. Where are we on this investigation, anyway?"

"Well, Sanchez and Sykes went back to the convent to see if they could get someone to talk. We still don't have a confirmed ID on the victim. Tox isn't back yet. Provenza said he's taking a walk. Buzz and Tao are in Electronics looking over the scene. I think I might go in there and give them a hand."

"I'll come with you, Andy. I need everyone to know that I'm not putting people on sides."

Together they walked into the murder room then across the hall to Electronics. Provenza hadn't returned, and Sharon looked sadly at his desk.

"What have you got, Buzz?" Andy asked when they entered the room.

Tao stood and offered his seat to Sharon. She thanked him and leaned forward to look at the videos of the scene again.

"Mike, do we have stills yet?"

"Yes Captain, they're right here," Tao said, handing her a folder.

"Hmmm, interesting... Andy, look at this," she said, holding up a closer picture of the plate and chalice that had been placed in front of the body.

Tao looked with Flynn at the picture. "What are you seeing?" he asked.

Andy pointed to the chalice, "See, the cup is ready for someone to drink. If this table had been prepared for a service, the cup would have had a flat thing on top of it. It's called... um..."

"Pall," Sharon supplied.

"Yeah, right. It's a Pall, and it has a folded cloth napkin inside called the Purificator. When someone hasn't started the Eucharist part of the service, the chalice is covered. So whomever set this up was intending it to be used right away. There isn't even a Veil over it."

"So someone planned on drinking from it?" Tao asked.

"That, or someone was ready to put something in."

"Put something in..." Sharon started thinking. "Oh Andy, why didn't I see this. Look at the position of the blood on the table cloth."

"Blood and Body," Andy rolled his eyes in realization. "She was the Eucharistic Sacrifice."

"Someone care to explain that?" Tao asked.

'Hmm," Andy started, "explaining the Eucharistic experience is right up there with solving World Hunger and creating World Peace. It's one of those things you have to suspend logic and just accept on faith. Basically, the night before Christ died, he had supper with all his friends and took the bread and said that was his body, and he gave a piece to everyone to eat. He told them he wanted them to always do that and remember him when they ate. Then he lifted a cup filled with wine and said that was his blood that he would shed for everyone to wipe away their sins, and that when they drank wine, they were part of his promise to change the world."

"Sounds rather Cannibalistic to me," Tao replied.

"That's what the Ancient Romans thought too," Sharon offered, "so when Rome burned, it didn't take Emperor Nero long to convince everyone that it was the Christian's fault. We were lion food for the better part of 300 years after that."

"Charming," Tao muttered.

"I wonder...," Sharon started.

"Captain?"

"I wonder if the placement isn't even more significant. She's not on the plate and her blood never made it to the cup. I'm thinking Consubstantiation rather than Transubstantiation." Sharon looked at Andy with a wrinkled brow and pursed lip.

"Could be," Andy nodded.

"Lost me again."

"Sorry Mike. The Eucharist is the dividing line between the various Christian denominations. How we each celebrate, or even if we celebrate, has caused a lot of fighting. Catholics and Orthodox believe in Transubstantiation, that the bread and wine actually are transformed into the body and blood. But Reformers... Episcopalians, Lutherans, Reformed... they believe in Consubstantiation, which means the bread and wine remain what they are, but they are consumed with the metaphorical consumption of the body and blood."

"Oh, so _Con_, meaning Latin for 'with'. Nothing changes, it just has deeper meaning."

"Exactly."

"Okay, so you're suggesting that since the victim's body was placed beside the plate and cup rather than on it, that whoever did this wasn't Catholic? So we're probably looking for someone that comes from a different tradition?"

"We could very well be looking for someone like that. If that's the case, our window for suspects gets more narrow because they would have to know the difference and that's a conversation that usually only happens in Seminary," Sharon nodded. "Mike, can you get a list of all the Seminaries and Divinity Halls in the State. Usually graduates don't go very far. Let's see who we can find that might have access to our convent. Maybe we'll get lucky and the victim will be a former graduate as well."

"That's making the assumption that our killer didn't just place the body this way without knowing the possible significance," Andy countered.

"True, Lieutenant, but given the great care to detail in the mutilation and placement of the victim's body, it's as good a place as any to start. The fact that she was placed like this on the night between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday just reinforces that everything about this murder was intentional and meant to send a message."

"Because..." Tao asked again.

"Maundy Thursday is when Jesus had his last supper with his friends, and then he went into the countryside to pray. He was arrested then and his trial, torture and death happened the next day, Good Friday. The victim had her last meal with her friends, then faced her torture while everyone else was asleep."

"So let me get this straight, this death is patterned after the whole Thursday/Good Friday thing? All this symbolism you and Andy see is pointing to who you think did it? I gotta say Captain, I'm not convinced."

"I'm not either, Mike," Sharon assured him, "but right now it's all we really have to go on. At least this way we can figure out who it isn't. We might be dealing with someone highly educated or someone with severe mental issues. The church certainly attracts both."

"Captain... who would mutilate her and then offer her as the ultimate sacrifice to God?"

"Lt. Tao... that is a very good question."


	5. Chapter 5

Julio and Amy drove through the gates into the convent grounds. Groupings of flowers were already arrayed around the front of the building, right up to the crime scene tape.

"I always find that creepy," Amy said before getting out of the car.

"What?"

"The flowers and teddy bears and candles. I mean where were these people when the victim was alive? Were they anywhere around here? Were they able to save her and didn't do anything? You know what I'm saying... sometimes it looks like people enjoy death so they can show off."

"Yeah, there's something to that," Julio agreed.

"You don't think I'm evil for thinking that?" she was a little surprised.

"Nope. I'm always suspicious of these gathering at the crime scene. Too many times the killer is among them wanting to see what they accomplished."

"Good point."

"Okay, what ground did you and Tao cover?"

"Not much. As soon as they saw the badge, they clammed up. We couldn't find anything anywhere that had her picture on it. I'm not even sure she was part of this place."

"The Captain thinks she was, and I have a hunch she's right."

"Why?"

"Because the murderer took too much trouble displaying the body. Usually that only happens to make a statement."

"I guess. There's a lot I don't really understand about the mind of a murderer yet."

"Consider yourself lucky. Once you do, it's hard to look at people normally again."

"That's true. I'm probably a lot more suspicious than I need to be."

"We all are," Julio agreed.

Together they walked to the crowd gathered around the impromptu memorial. Dr. Morales had given them a picture of the victim to show. Some didn't recognize her, but others seemed to react. Julio looked over the top of one woman at Amy, in a manner which suggested they were close to an ID. But the woman would not talk, she just glanced over at the memorial to a picture of their victim, alive and happy, then she moved on in silence.

"What do you think?" Amy asked when they were close enough to whisper.

"I'm thinking the people here took a Vow of Silence, that's what I'm thinking. When you said no one talked to you, I thought you meant they just weren't forthcoming. I didn't realize they really didn't talk to you."

"It was weird, I gotta tell you. They all look sad but there's no sound, not even crying."

"Okay," Julio said, leading them away from those gathered around the memorial, "let me think about this for a minute."

"Don't some of these places keep silent? I think I read about that once," Amy said.

"Different orders do, and they all have rules that change with the season and time of day."

"So how do we know which is which?"

"I.. I'm... To tell you the truth Sykes, this is where it gets really complicated. There's overall traditions like Benedictine and Trappist and others, that have certain rules. But then there's the tradition of the place itself that modifies those rules. We're not going to get anywhere out here. Let's go inside to see if there's a library or office or something that will tell me what we're dealing with. For all I know, they could be making this up as they go along and only they know what they're doing."

"Great... " Amy muttered as she followed behind him.

Just as they were climbing the stairs, Julio stopped. "Has the scene been cleared?"

"I don't think so. Why don't you call the Lieutenant."

"I've got a better idea, why don't you call the Lieutenant."

"Me? Why me?"

"Because you're on his side of the divide line, so he's more likely to talk to you than me at the moment."

Amy shook her head while she took out her phone. "That's all stupid anyway," she said as she waited for Provenza to pick up the other end. "What am I supposed to ask him?"

"Just see how much of the crime scene we can release..."

"Lieutenant," Amy interrupted him, as Provenza answered his phone. "I'm out here at the convent and I'm wondering how much of the this tape we can take down. Ah-huh... yeah... Okay, but not the chapel itself. Thanks, Sir."

"Is he still grumpy."

"Yeah, I think that's safe to say."

"It's a ridiculous power struggle. The Captain was just covering all the basis."

"Maybe, but I can understand where Provenza's coming from."

"Then could you explain it to me, because I'm not getting it."

Amy pulled at the crimes scene tape, trying to collect her thoughts. "Well... it's kinda like you people are saying you're better than us just because you know about church stuff and we don't."

"I don't get that. I don't think I'm better, and I'm pretty sure Flynn and the Captain don't feel that way. Look, just because we have faith in God doesn't make us think we're chosen or special or anything like that. It's just what makes sense to us. It feels good at the end of a long day to get down on my knees and pray. It's just nice knowing I've always got someone with me, no matter what I'm doing. Someone I can talk to and who will understand, no questions asked."

"You're making this sound like God is a real person."

"He is to me."

Amy considered what Julio said as they entered the convent, gathered all the yellow tape as they went. Then she watched him tie the tape to the back benches to cut off access just inside the chapel doors. Before he entered, however, she watched him wet his fingers in a little bowl on the side of the wall, and cross himself.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing to the decorative bowl carved into the wall.

"Ugh?" Julio turned to look where Amy was pointing. "Oh, that's a Wall Font. See the big one in the chapel?" He pointed to a large concrete structure that looked like a chalice, "That's the primary font, and when the water is blessed there, they bring a little bit out here so people can cross themselves before they enter the chapel."

"So you just dip your fingers and touch your head?"

"Yes and no. Yes that's what you do, but it's Baptismal Water, so every time you do it you're reconfirming your Baptism."

"Okay. And that crossing thing you do, I saw you and the Captain do it, but not Lt. Flynn."

"Everyone has their own style. I Genuflect and cross myself with the water, the Captain just crosses herself and Flynn doesn't do anything. He just walks into the chapel and takes a deep breath."

"So that all means something different too? Like the cross necklace thing?"

"Nah, it's just personal choice. It probably says a lot about how you were raised, but it doesn't really say anything about what you believe."

"I gotta tell you, Julio, I'm not clear on what is important and what is just personal style."

"It takes awhile, and you have to know there are other ways to do things, otherwise you just assume what you do is what everyone should do. That's when we get into trouble. Every war that was ever fought over religion is someone trying to force others to do things their way. It never works in the end, and a lot of people are dead."

"I don't know why people just can't be left to believe what they want," Amy sighed, looking around the foyer. "I bet there's a special name for this too, right?" she asked offhandedly."

"Narthex," Julio smiled at her, then chuckled when she rolled her eyes. "Come on Sykes, let's see what we can find."

Together they walked down the hall, looking in doors until they found the office.

"This reminds me of the Nun's office when I was a kid in school," Julio said when he entered.

"Good times?" Amy asked.

"Nope."

"Then why do you still go to church?"

"My faith is in God. Being Catholic is just how I show it. I never had faith in the nuns and priests. Some were great, and others needed to be locked up. Look at this," he held up a picture.

"Joan?" Amy read, recognizing their victim. "At least we now have a name."

"Maybe."

"What maybe, her name is right under her picture."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it was her real name. She might just call herself that."

Amy stood back and crossed her arms. "I gotta tell you honestly, this church thing is making no sense to me. Nothing is what it looks like and everything has hidden meaning or aliases or movements like a secret handshake."

"You've got Baptists in your family tree, don't you," Julio said without even looking up.

"What? How did you know that?"

"We're on two different sides of the Reformation, Sykes."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Provenza came quietly back into the squad room and sat down. Sharon and Andy looked up to see him flipping through an old book, then looked at each other briefly. No one wanted to disturb the peace, they were just glad he had returned.

Sighing heavily, Provenza kept flipping, then threw the book down on his desk in frustration. "I just... I just feel so frustrated," he announced.

Sharon and Andy looked at each other again, then started to approach him.

"Lieutenant?" Sharon asked softly.

Provenza leaned forward on his desk, first making sure it was only the three of them. "I just feel I'm not able to work this case, and I don't like that feeling."

Again Sharon and Andy exchanged looks. It wasn't like Provenza to be forthcoming about his feelings other than anger. Sharon pulled a chair closer to him while Andy sat on the desk just beside her. "Why do you feel that?" she asked gently.

"I looked at that woman's body this morning, and saw only a fraction of what I was supposed to see. We've had other murders in churches and convents. Did I mess up on those too?"

"I don't know, but I'm guessing that if you solved those murders, you did everything you could."

"Yeah, we did. But could we have done more?"

"Hey," Flynn looked at him, "I was there lots of times, so was Sanchez. I can tell you this one's different. This one's a statement."

"All murders are a statement."

"Yeah, but this one is a whole different calibre. I've never seen anything so calculated as this. Even when it's a sociopath, it's usually about sex or power, this... this one is twisted."

"Twisted I get. It's just the level of sophistication in this one. I'm so out of my league, and I owe you an apology for earlier, Captain."

"Thank you, Lieutenant, but I think you were partially right. This is dividing us. I just hope that divide isn't going to last after this murder is solved."

"It won't, Captain. In fact, I think this case is going to teach us things about each other we never realized existed. Look, I don't want to say this with the others around, and if either of you repeat this I'm going to deny it, understand?"

Sharon and Andy couldn't help smiling.

"But I feel like a rookie, like this is my first case and I'm getting everything wrong. I even bought this at a second hand store, and I don't know the first thing about looking in it."

Flynn reached over and picked up the old, tattered Bible from Provenza's desk. "What were you looking up?"

"That note shoved into her mouth. I'm guessing it's some reference, but I haven't had a Bible in my hands since I was a kid. I don't know anything." Provenza clasped and unclasped his fist, showing how deeply his sense of frustration truly ran.

"What was it..." Flynn said, casually flipping the pages, "Corinthians, right?"

"First," Sharon nodded, "chapter 14."

Flynn opened the book then passed it to Provenza to read.

"This is why you knew it was a hate crime, Captain?" Provenza looked up after he'd read it.

"Mmm-hmm, it's one of those more frequently quoted arguments for women not being priests."

"How can you be part of something that tells you to be quiet in public. And ask your husbands if you want to know something? How many domestic abuse cases have we had where the husband thinks it's his right to keep his wife silent and dependent? I gotta say, Captain, you are far too intelligent a woman to believe this. Aren't you?"

"That's why you have to study this book, Lieutenant, and not just read things as if they were written in today's world. Paul is the name of the person who wrote that, and he was a first century Hebrew Man. It's almost comical because he tells women to be silent, and then at the end of his letters he thanks a lot of women by name for all the work they are doing for the church. He can't have it both ways. He was writing at a time when only boys were taught to read and write, and he didn't want women interrupting to ask questions. It wasn't even about women, this whole thing is about how to worship peacefully without distraction. Those things that didn't make sense needed to be talked about at a later time, not in the middle of communal worship. But that's the problem with taking a few lines out of the Bible and saying it is against women. No... the truth was the rich women of the day, the women who could read and write, were the ones tho kept Paul and the other followers fed and clothed, and risked their own lives to have church services in their homes. Priscilla is mentioned by name a lot. Claudia is named. I can't remember who else, but women were part of Paul's ministry, so he must have been responding to something very specific that was happening in Corinth."

"Yeah, that's the other thing," Flynn added, "this is a response to another letter Paul received, so we don't even know what the real issues were. We can only guess something was going on based on the answer. It raises more questions than it answer."

"And that's assuming this was originally in the letter he wrote, and not added later by someone who wanted to make a point," Sharon nodded at him.

"How do you keep that all straight?" Provenza asked.

"Read," they said together, then Andy continued, "It's like the Captain said earlier, there's 2000 years of working on this stuff. You can go to church, sit in the pew, do what you're told, and it'll never really mean anything. Or, like us, you can worship, but you can also read about it, go to lectures, spend time around other people who are struggling with the same questions. You know... put work into it."

"Seems a lot of hassle for nothing."

"And sometimes it feels that way, Lt. Provenza."

Provenza looked surprised at her admission.

"Then why bother, Captain?"

"Mmm... because it means something to me. It makes me feel I'm part of something larger. I like the people. I like the efforts made by believers to improve the world around them. I don't have to agree with everything, none of us do. But the basics make sense. I really love wresting with this intellectually. You know, the central focus of the Christian faith really haven't changed in 2000 years. Love, serve others, protect and provide for the weak, know there's something waiting when this life is over. That's all the same. It's only the community of thought and practice that have changed generation after generation. And when you happen upon something written in the twelfth century by a person struggling with the same issues you are, and when you see how they handled it, it might help provide answers."

"We got something, Captain," Sykes burst into the murder room with Sanchez, effectively bringing the private conversation between Raydor, Flynn and Provenza to a close.

"Did you get an ID, Detectives?"

"Maybe," Sanchez offered.

"Maybe? What's maybe?" Provenza demanded, standing to look at them.

"Her name is Joan," Sykes said.

"Well, she calls herself Joan," Sanchez countered.

"Joan, as in Joan of Arc?" Provenza asked.

"Nope, as in Pope Joan."

"Oh boy..." Flynn whistled.

3


	7. Chapter 7

"Pope Joan?" Tao entered the room, Buzz followed behind and slowed down as the conversation about the church picked up again. "As in the hypothetical female Pope from the 800's?"

"I thought you didn't know this stuff, Tao," Provenza looked accusingly at him.

"I don't know the faith part or all the hidden symbols, but history I know. She was believe to be erased from the memory of the Catholic church, but there are lots of references to her and a whole lot of questions."

"She was a legend, Sir" Sanchez offered.

"Perhaps, Detective. I know there's no hard proof, but the circumstantial evidence is quite compelling," Raydor looked at him, her head tilted.

"There's no proof, Ma'am."

"Given the era, proof would be hard to come by. Besides, our modern concept of substantiated evidence can hardly be applied to the Dark Ages when everything was in turmoil. The very fact that writer after writer referenced her means someone had to exist who came up through the academic ranks by disguising herself as a male, and was ultimately elected Pope. It's not hard to believe given the stories of the Mystics at the time. Just because the church Patriarchy wants to pretend they weren't duped doesn't mean it didn't happen."

"Wow," Sykes had a grin on her face, "I though you guys agreed on everything."

"Hardly," Flynn snorted. "Look, let's deal with the 21 Century dead woman, and then we'll get around to the 9th Century one, okay?"

"Dead?" Sykes immediately changed her tone.

"Yeah, the story goes that this Joan gave birth in the middle of the street, and as soon as the Cardinals and Bishops around her realized she was a woman, they stoned her to death and killed her new son."

"Ugh... why do you want to be part of something that hates women? Especially you, Captain?" Sykes looked disgusted.

"Det. Sykes, that would take a very long conversation, and one we don't have time for at the moment. Suffice it to say, not everyone in the church hates women, and the Patriarchal church has been accused of a lot over the years, but not all of it is true."

"Right... right, Captain. We should be focusing on our 'Joan' and not anything else," Sykes looked like she'd been slapped and sat straighter in her chair.

Realizing she was too curt, Raydor softened her look, "Amy, if you're really interested, I would love to have that conversation. But it's a long one and something I would rather not rush."

Nodding and relaxing a bit, Amy looked up and her, "I'll think about that, Captain."

"Good," Sharon smiled, then turned to the rest of the crew, "okay, let's see what we have. Tox screen and lab reports?"

"I'll call and find out," Tao offered.

"ID?"

"She calls herself 'Joan', Ma'am, but there wasn't anything else in the convent office of a personal nature. No business cards, phone bills, diplomas. We did find this, however. Letterhead that says 'Bet-Neshar'."

"House of the Vultures?" Tao interrupted, still on hold with the lab.

"Excuse me, Lt. Tao?" Sharon looked at him.

"It's Hebrew, Captain. _Bet_ means house, and _Neshar_ is sometimes translated as eagle, but more accurately a griffin vulture."

"Do you think that means anything, Lieutenant?"

"Well, that species of bird lives in a group, called a 'wake' or a 'committee', and members are free to come and go as they please."

"Captain, do you think that's the kind of convent this Joan was running."

"Perhaps... perhaps... Lt. Tao..."

"Already on it, Captain. I'm looking to see if the name is registered."

"Okay," Sharon nodded, "how did the search come for recent students and graduates?"

"Most of them didn't have pictures on the website, Captain," Flynn started, "and without a name, we aren't going to get very far."

"Captain," Sykes interrupted, "I just had a hunch so I looked up the name Joan Pope on the internet. Guess who I found."

Everyone grouped around Sykes, and saw pictures of a smiling women, one matching the picture they brought back form Bet-Neshar.

"Look who else she found," Provenza pointed at a group photo.

"Damn," Sharon closed her eyes and shook her head.

"We going to do a notification?" Flynn asked.

"I'll have to, but let's get some answers first. Can we get an address for Joan Pope?"

"Takes us right back to the convent, Ma'am," Sykes shook her head.

"Got it, Captain. Joan Pope has the convent listed as her primary address, but her secondary address is a residential area across town."

"Good... good..."

"Okay everyone," Provenza finally spoke up, "Tao, I want you looking for anything you can find on this Joan Pope. Where she went to school, when she graduated, if she was married, you know the drill. Sanchez and Sykes, go back to the convent and see what you can find. Buzz, you're with us. We'll go to her house just as soon as we go talk to another Pope."

They all looked grimly at one another, and Sharon nodded, giving her tacit approval to Provenza's orders.

"Tox is back, Captain. Nothing on drugs in her system, but that's no surprise. Rope was generic, so there's nothing to go on there. The holes in her hands and ankles were cauterized, but they had traces of down."

"Down? Like feather pillows?"

"Please don't tell me it's vulture down," Flynn sighed.

"Nope, just regular farm variety goose."

"She was tied to pillows?" Sharon looked up at Tao.

"I would have thought something hard," Flynn offered.

"But that explains the lack of bruising."

The team looked at each other, perplexed.

"Ma'am," Sykes started, "I'm thinking the killer couldn't make up his mind if he loved her or hated her."

"Sykes, that's brilliant," Provenza exclaimed.

Amy was taken aback by the compliment, and smiled at Provenza. "I guess, we should also look around the convent for signs of a lover?"

"That would certainly be in keeping with the original Pope Joan," Tao said.

"I thought priests were all supposed to be celibate?" Buzz finally spoke.

"Not until the 12th or 13th Century. Most were married before then." Tao replied.

"Yes, and there's evidence that women themselves were priests and bishops before the church cracked down on women's participation," Sharon nodded.

"That's not completely clear, Ma'am," Sanchez stepped in.

"Detective, you don't have Ecumenical Church Councils in the Middle Ages, saying women can't be priests, if it wasn't already happening. Besides, there's amble evidence to prove husbands and wives were priestly teams together and passed their churches on to their children."

"So, it's only been about 800 years that women couldn't be priests?" Sykes asked, amazed at this revelation.

"About that," Sharon nodded. "Some branches of Protestantism have been ordaining women now for almost 100 years."

"Then why don't you join one of them?" Sykes asked again.

Sharon smiled, "Because they don't worship in the style I find worshipful, so I stay where I love it even if the political attitudes sometimes drive me crazy."

"Two sides of the Reformation," Sanchez leaned over the Sykes and said again.

"I don't know what that means," she leaned back.

"Okay people, before we devolve into a university lecture group, we've got a job to do. Tao, call us when you've got anything. Sykes, Sanchez, get going. Flynn, Buzz, you go wait downstairs. The Captain and I have something to do."


	8. Chapter 8

"How'd it go?" Flynn greeted Raydor and Provenza when they got off the elevator.

"Fine... Not what I was expecting, I can tell you," Provenza replied.

"What did he say anyway?" Flynn asked again, opening the door for Raydor to get in the back seat behind him.

"Well, turns out our good Chief has no idea who this Joan actually is. We showed him a picture of the group and he said it was a family reunion he attended briefly a couple of years ago in memory of his father, but he didn't stay long and didn't meet everyone there."

"So jokes about the Vatican are back on?"

"Definitely."

"It also means we're no closer to finding out anything about this woman, Gentlemen" Sharon censured them. "Chief Pope didn't know which part of the family she was from so he couldn't give us names of her parents or siblings."

"Captain," Provenza turned in the front seat to look at her, "do I detect your disapproval in us making jokes about the church?"

Recognizing a challenge when she saw it, Sharon gave him the Raydor-glare. "Lieutenant, these jokes are amateurish and naive."

Provenza turned back to face out the front window, not exactly sure how to respond.

"Besides," Sharon continued, "if you want to hear the really good Catholic jokes, you need to attend a Diocesan meeting."

Flynn chuckled. He always enjoyed someone getting the better of Provenza.

They continued to ride in silence. Flynn with a grin on his face, Provenza slightly moody, Raydor wondering what they would find, and Buzz feeling completely out of place.

"Here we are," Flynn announced needlessly when they pulled into the driveway of Joan Pope's home.

"Can I help you?" a surprised older woman asked, as she came around the corner.

"Do you live here?" Sharon asked her.

"No, I live right there," she pointed at the house across the street. "But Joan's not home. I look after her cat when she's away. I do it regularly, you know. She spends so much time at that convent of hers now, I don't know why she even bothers keeping a house. But I suppose, people like that need to have their house and their work far apart. Leads to a normal life, I guess. I was just closing up and going home. I need to get back for my stories, you know," she smiled, and Raydor nodded with her.

"Ms.?" Sharon began.

"Miss... Miss Shelby. I'm the neighbour. I've lived here for years and years. I'm kind of the neighbourhood watch, if you know what I mean."

"Yes, I do. Miss Shelby, my name is Captain Raydor of the LAPD, and these are Lieutenants Flynn and Provenza, and our camera operator Buzz Watson."

"Camera? Are you making a film?" Miss Shelby said, as she tried to straighten her housedress with her hands.

Smiling, Sharon shook her head, "No, I'm afraid not. We need to ask you some questions about Joan Pope, if you don't mind. But first, would you open the door so Lt. Flynn and Mr. Watson could look around?"

"Is Joan in some kind of trouble?"

"Joan was murdered last night, Miss Shelby. We're doing everything we can to find her killer. You could be an enormous help."

"Joan... " Miss Shelby put her hand over her heart, and Sharon moved in closer to grab the woman if she started to teeter. "I'm okay, but Joan... she was such a good neighbour. Always so kind. She'd bring people home for dinner if they needed food. She'd never let them stay, you know. She had the convent full of beds, but sometimes people just needed someone to talk to. I'd see her lights on for hours into the night."

"Did she have anyone around recently? Anyone who struck you as threatening to her?"

"Who? Oh, it's hard to say. She'd pick up people off the streets or have prostitutes in. Everyone was welcome in her house. She always had ice cream or some kind of treat for the children around here. She had a large bin of toys just outside her back door so they could come and borrow anything they needed to play. And they always brought them back, of course. That was the deal: borrow what you need, but return it for someone else to use. She was just one of those people who always helped others. She was a priest, you know. She didn't work in a church and I never had the whole story, but she seemed to really like people."

"Did Joan have a husband or boyfriend that you knew of?"

"No husband. No children. No family, I don't think. At least she never visited anyone out of town and she never had people staying with her. I seen her with a man from time to time, but I can't tell you what was going on. Some had those collars on their shirts, you know the ones that said they were priests too, but not every one. And there weren't that many, I want to just say that. She didn't have men over a lot. She wasn't that kind of girl."

"Was there anything recently that upset her?"

"No... not that I know of. She didn't really talk about her life that much. She'd invite me for tea and she'd be so good to listen to me. Come to think of it, all she ever did was listen to me... she was kind a special that way, you know? She always made me feel like I was the only one in the room that mattered. Others said the same thing. She'd just listen."

"Do you mind letting us in, Miss Shelby?"

"Oh... oh, my I'm sorry. This has got me all turned around. Yes dear, I'll let you in. Do you need me to stay?"

"Thank you, but it would be better if we did this without anyone outside the LAPD around. I hope you understand."

"Yes... yes, of course. I've got to tell the girls what happened. The neighbours will want to know. Should I tell them you'll be around to speak with everyone?"

Sharon smiled at the older woman, "Yes, that would be helpful, thank you."

Once they were inside and Miss Shelby was halfway across the street, Provenza finally spoke. "Nothing so helpful to the police than a neighbourhood busy-body who likes to talk."

"Be nice, Lieutenant. She was obviously upset by this."

Provenza grumbled but didn't say anything further. Buzz positioned his camera and followed everyone from room to room, filming everything for potential use. There had been no signs of struggle, nothing seemed out of place or overly messy. It looked like the home of a single woman who spent more time at work than she did in her private space. Bookshelves covered one wall of the main room, and disappeared into a dining area that had been turned into an office. A small table in the kitchen seemed the only space dedicated to eating. Off to one side of the tiny bungalow, they found a bedroom and bathroom. Bookshelves lined the hallway and much of the bedroom as well. Downstairs they found a large storage room with rows of boxes labeled 'mugs', 'clothing, men', 'books', 'personal items', and more. There seemed to be a collection of items for any need. A simple laundry room was the only other area in the basement.

"There doesn't seem to be room for anyone else in this house," Provenza stated the obvious.

"Or her life, it would seem," Sharon agreed.

Sharon and Buzz moved outside, where they found the large toy box just as Miss Shelby had said they would. The small backyard was poorly tended, in stark contrast with the rest of the house. Empty pots and bags of soil were lined against the fence, suggesting a project that hadn't begun.

Moving back into the house, Sharon knew there wasn't much more they could find. The few photos that were on display didn't have any identification or listing of names on their back, and there were no personal letters in the basket by the front door.

"Captain," Flynn called as he and Provenza came out of the bedroom.

"Yes?"

"We've got a laptop, two Diplomas, and this." He handed her a book and awaited her reaction.

Sharon looked at the title of the book and her face softened. She didn't look up as she caressed the cover. "Where did you find this?"

"It was on her beside table. It's signed."

Looking up for the first time, Andy and Sharon exchanged looks of understanding.

"You know that book, Captain?" Provenza asked her.

"It was written by my Aunt Mary."


	9. Chapter 9

The ride back to the office was quiet as each person in the car was lost in thought. A few times Provenza wanted to say something to Sharon, but Andy would catch his eye and shake his head. A clue was a clue was a clue... but they could wait until they were back together to decipher everything.

Sykes and Sanchez were waiting for them when they returned.

"Okay, People," Sharon started as she marched into the main area. "We've got to run down what we have. Andy, update the white board. Mike, call in the request to canvas the neighbourhood Joan Pope was living in. I want everyone questioned for possible suspects, but given what Miss Shelby told us, we might have a very large pool depending on personal opinion.

"Um... Captain," Provenza started.

"Not now, Lieutenant," she cut him off, then turned to Julio and Amy. "What did you find at the convent?"

"Well Ma'am," Sanchez began, "there wasn't much in her office. Files contained basic receipts like utilities and regular purchases, but there was nothing identifying the members of the convent. We looked around a bit, but we're going to have to return with search warrants, since the rooms are occupied. On the main floor there is a large library off to the side of the chapel, a few small conference rooms and one inside play room."

"Were there children out there?"

"No Ma'am, not that we could see, but the equipment had been used, that was easy to see. It's in good repair, but it's definitely been used."

"During the day, children are probably in school, Captain," Amy added and received Sharon's nod of acknowledgement.

"Okay... Mike, have you found anything else about Joan?"

"Captain, both parents are deceased. One brother, but it seems they haven't spoken in years. I looked up his blog, and he is a militant Atheist, so that might explain the estrangement. She's quite educated. She has a Bachelor Degree from Minnesota State, as well as a M.A. from Notre Dame, and was working on a Ph.D. from Fuller."

"That would correspond with the framed diplomas I found, Captain," Flynn acknowledged from the whiteboard.

"Miss Shelby said she was a priest, but an M.A. is not the qualifying degree. Any hint of an . anywhere?"

"No Captain. At Notre Dame, she studied under a Dr. Mary Schuller, recently deceased."

Sharon nodded, "Okay everyone, in the spirit of full discloser, Dr. Mary Shuller was my aunt."

The room went silent as everyone looked at each other. Flynn crossed his arms, and leaned against the board, awaiting what came next.

"You knew," Provenza looked at Flynn, "that's why you kept asking the Captain how she was doing?"

"I knew this might hit close to home," Flynn acknowledged, "but I didn't know Joan Pope was a student of Mary's. She and I talked only about church stuff and her niece."

"So how did you meet the good Doctor?" Provenza couldn't help asking.

"At a lecture series. I was interested in her topic and we got to chatting. When she found out I was LAPD, she asked me if I knew her niece. You talk about surprised. Mary was quite the gal. I don't think I've ever seen anyone as enthusiastic about her faith and the practice of that faith as Mary was. She'd get her hands going and her smile was large, and before you knew it, you couldn't help me caught up in her excitement. She was contagious. I attended as many lectures as I could."

Sharon smiled at the memory, "She was something, alright. She never left the Roman church, but she was completely convinced the Patriarchy was mistaken in their attitude towards women. That book Joan Pope kept on her beside table, was my aunt's final work. It was her masterpiece, putting together over two decades of research."

"Did you know Joan Pope indirectly, Captain?" Provenza had to ask.

"No, Lieutenant. There's no conflict of interest here. I was just momentarily unsettled by the fact this woman was a student of my aunt's. Mind you, it's just one more piece of the puzzle, but it still doesn't answer our questions about who would have wanted this woman dead. Mike," she turned to him, "who else was a student with Joan? From Minnesota to Notre Dame to Fuller... that's quite a combination of Theologies. Who else might have shared that path?"

"Aren't they all schools for religion, Captain?" Sykes asked. "What's the difference?"

"Different sides of the Reformation," Sanchez said again, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Okay, that's the third time you've said that to me, and I've got no idea what it means. What are you talking about?"

Sanchez chuckled, but Flynn took pity on Sykes' confusion.

"It's like this," Flynn said, putting his hands together to a point. "The Reformation is the dividing line for Protestants and Catholics. On one side, we have high church worship with the smells'n'bells, men-only priests and lots of rituals. On the other side, we have low church with hardly any ritual at all. That's the side that's usually more comfortable with women priests, though not always."

"So where does our vic factor in?" Sykes asked.

"If I was to guess," Flynn continued, "I'd say she rode the ridge with the Episcopalians and Lutherans."

"That would certainly be in keeping with the way she was placed on the alter," Sharon agreed.

"Fuller is more open to women as priests," Tao commented.

"So where does this leave us, Captain?" Provenza cut through the chatter.

"I'm not sure," Sharon said, moving towards the recently updated whiteboard. "I still think the best shot we have is looking at former students that attended Notre Dame and Fuller with her, as well as the convent itself. Det. Sanchez, get your warrants for the convent, we have to go back there and look through everything. Lt. Tao, anyone in the student body that presents a question mark needs to be examined. Det. Sykes, please accompany Lt. Provenza back to the convent and await the warrants. Anything you can gather before then will be helpful. And while you're at it, get some teams searching the grounds. It's almost noon now, so we're not going to get better sunlight than this."

"Captain," Provenza intervened, "didn't you say we should pair up churched and unchurched?"

"Lieutenant," Raydor countered, "we're way beyond looking for symbolism at every turn. This murder needs to be solved, and Christian symbolism is only part of the equation. Where did the killer rape and mutilate our victim? When would he have had opportunity? Motive is only a small part of this, and we're well on our way to understanding what is behind this. I need to know where this could have happened."

"Captain," Provenza started again, "did the inscription in the book mean anything?"

Sharon looked a bit flustered. Andy had shown her the book but she hadn't actually looked inside. Opening it for the first time, Sharon read "To my favourite student. I have every confidence you will take these ideas and run with them. Yours always, Mary."

"Well, they were close, obviously. What's the book about, Captain?"

"Mary spend a lifetime researching how women in the Early Church and into the Dark Ages were priests and leaders. She spend a lot of time in the catacombs of Roman and throughout Italy. She always argued the the church would always be weak as long as it denied 50% of it's population. Obviously our Joan Pope was convinced of these arguments and wasn't prepared to wait for the church to come around. All I know is Mary would have been devastated to think one of her students died because of her convictions."

"We still don't know that was the reason, Captain," Flynn said gently.

"She never wanted to be a priest, you know," Sharon said to no one in particular. "Mary always believed everyone should have the right to preside over the sacraments. She though people should be educated in their faith, but elitism had no business in a community that professed to follow Christ's lifestyle."

"Captain..." Flynn said gently.

"I'm alright, Lt. Flynn, I'm just thinking we are slightly off the mark. Our Joan Pope choose her name carefully, didn't attempt to get the qualifications of traditional priests, lead a community with no recognized structure... she patterned her ministry after Christ himself. Perhaps she was killed for those choices."

"So you thinking this isn't a hate crime after all?" Provenza asked.

"No, it's definitely a hate crime, but perhaps the hate was directed at Joan the person rather than what she represented."

"That would kinda make sense, especially since she was tied to pillows and not anything that would hurt. Do you think this was a sexual partnership that went wrong?" Sykes asked.

"She was raped, that much Dr. Morales confirmed. But why she was raped is an open question.

"Captain, you said your aunt spent a lot of time in catacombs in Rome?"

"Yes, Julio... what are you thinking."

"We haven't found a doorway yet to the basement of that convent. Buildings like that usually hid their way to the cellar because they didn't want everyone having access to their storage. Perhaps Pope Joan wasn't the only one who has read your aunt's book."

"As disturbing a thought as that is, I have to agree. Lt. Flynn, please find the floor plans to the convent and we'll meet all of you there."


	10. Chapter 10

"Got 'em, Captain," Flynn announced as he barreled into Sharon's office, but stopped abruptly when he saw her at her desk, fingering the book they had found in Joan Pope's home.

"Did you know I helped edit this?" she said to him, not really expecting an answer. "It was years ago when she first started writing. She wanted to know if it made sense, if the language was clear. She was always worried that she talked above people's heads."

"I've attended a lot of lectures over the years, and that's one thing she never did. She was as down to earth as she could be."

Sharon chuckled at the idea. "Sometimes, but other times she was the picture of an absent minded professor. I remember going to a pub once with Mary and my kids, and she struggled to open a bag of chips."

Andy laughed. He could picture it well.

"Did I ever tell you how I came to learn you had been talking with Mary?" When Andy shook his head no, Sharon continued. "I was working late one night, dealing with a case of a very difficult Lieutenant who while brilliant, was always getting into trouble."

"Hmmm, wonder who that could be..."

"Yeah, I wonder... anyway, she called quite excited that she had met someone who knew me from work, and asked if I knew an 'Andy Flynn'."

"What did you tell her."

"Oh, a million answers went through my head, but I think all I said was that I had heard of you."

"Heard about me, read about me, yelled about me, I'm sure."

"You do have a way of calling attention to yourself. She was quite smitten, you know."

"Really?" Andy smiled, "that's nice to hear."

"Would you like to attend her burial?"

"She's not buried yet?"

"No, she wanted that to be in the late spring or early summer when all the flowers were in bloom in Upstate New York. She might have been an academic to the core, but she was also an outdoors person and that's how she wanted it done."

"I'd be honoured. Just tell me where and when."

"I will. In the meantime, what have you got?" Sharon became all business, holding her hands out to the paper scrolled in Andy's hands.

"Plans for the grounds and the building itself, plus a really interesting history lesson."

"Really? Do tell."

"Seems this convent isn't officially registered by any recognized church in the State."

"Doesn't surprise me. We would have had more than our share of officials breathing down our neck by now if it had been."

"Right, so I asked what the deal was. Apparently this was one of the properties the Catholic Diocese had to sell to pay legal costs."

"Explains a lot. What else?"

"Well, it gets better. During Prohibition, the monks who used to live there saw this as Protestant control, and thought they knew better than the law, so they had quite the side business."

"With side tunnels and side entrances," Sharon rolled her eyes. "This just keeps getting better and better."

"Exactly. Now if I was smuggling, I would want to have a map handy that no one could understand."

"Like artwork?"

"Right. Let's hope no one decided to houseclean since the 1920's."

Sharon looked over the rim of her glasses and couldn't keep the hint of a smile from her lips.

Arriving at the convent some time later, both Sharon and Andy surveyed the scene. They had been there in the dark of night, but by daylight it looked like a whole different place. "Aside from the murder, this is truly a beautiful place," Sharon started.

"Yeah... I see that the memorial is working it's way up the stairs."

"Hmmm," Sharon crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"I know that look."

"Interesting. Anthropological theory suggests these roadside memorials are a result of our culture not having a common voice to express it's grief. Statistics show a direct correlation between decreasing involvement in church with an increase in this type of impromptu display."

"Yeah... so..."

"Isn't it strange that a convent full of religious people would be making such a secular display?"

"Huh, you've got a point, and it also speaks to this place not really being much more than a religious flop-house."

"Intentional Community, if you wouldn't mind," a voice came from behind them.

Sharon and Andy turned in surprise to see a woman in her 30's, briefcase in hand, looking like the strain of the day had already gotten the better of her.

Quickly noticing the police badges Sharon and Andy wore, the woman held out her hand to shake with Sharon first. "Amanda Vining," she said. "I helped Joan run this place. I was the business person behind her vision."

"Captain Sharon Raydor, and Lt. Andy Flynn," Sharon replied, shaking Amanda's hand then allowing Andy the same privilege. "Were you and Joan close?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "I expect you have questions. Do you mind if we speak inside? I'd like to be out of these shoes and away from the curious."

"By all means," Sharon said, moving aside to allow Amanda the lead.

Inside Sharon looked around as Amanda lead them down the hall towards the office. "This really is a beautiful building. I didn't get a chance to look around when I was here this morning."

"Yes it is. It dates back almost 180 years, which is quite something around here. Joan loved it," Amanda replied, sitting behind the desk and waving towards the guest chairs. "Before we begin, can you please tell me something? Was it quick?"

"Was what quick?" Andy asked.

"Joan's death. I don't know the details. Please tell me she wasn't in pain."

"I can promise you that," Sharon nodded reassuringly. "Joan would not have known what was happening. I am curious though, when did you get word of her death?"

"Mmm... around seven this morning. I had company over last night and was prepared to have a leisurely day so I didn't bother setting my alarm. I thought it was a mistake when they first called."

"Who called?"

"The bank."

"Why would the bank call you? Didn't someone call you from here?

"No... no one from here would do that. Everyone was under a vow of silence for Holy Week."

"That's not a normal requirement," Sharon seemed surprised.

"No it's not, but these aren't average people. We have some pilgrims from other countries who don't speak English, we've got some people who were living on the street with no where else to go, we've got some people who would rather live in community than in there own home, we've got former nuns and priests. It's a real mix of people, and the one thing they could all equally give this week was their voice."

Sharon and Andy nodded their understanding. "My officers said they didn't get far with questioning. Have there been agreements signed? Do you have a list of the people who live here?"

"Some of them, the more socially conscious, but because we don't turn anyone away, we might have them show up for dinner and be gone from their room by the next morning. They don't have to give us a name, that was Joan's vision. She believed God knew who they were, so why should we make it an issue."

Sharon and Andy looked at each other, realizing that just threw the pool of suspects wide open again.

"Look," Amanda continued, having watched the two officers' reactions, "I'm sure in your world of regulation and files and deadlines, this seems completely illogical, and believe me when I tell you I often have to do back-flips for banks and legislators on this matter. But the fact of the matter is most people who come here are already off the grid. Refugees who don't even know their birthdate, alcoholics who can't remember their last name, prostitutes who want to be anybody else, couples trying to escape society's expectations."

"And the children? My detectives found the play room."

"That is the exception. We don't have any children here at the moment, but when we have children they are properly documented. We don't want to go completely against the law and be shut down. We just want this place to be a true sanctuary."

"Do you have any kind of list about visitors or residents?" Andy asked.

"We have room assignments. I can print those for you. We don't keep paperwork at the office. Everything we have is on my computer and Joan's."

"We already have Joan's computer," Andy informed her. "But if you don't mind me asking, why is she called Pope Joan?"

Amanda smiled, "She's been called that since High School. Even back then she challenged the priest where we grew up. She was one of the first to be an alter-girl. She never gave up her dream of being able to officiate over the sacraments, but if they weren't going to let her in the front door, she'd come in the side, she always said. She wanted to be like Pope Joan: spent most of her time studying and serve others."

"Pope Joan had some other characteristics," Andy continued, "and historians agreed she wouldn't have gotten very far without her lovers. Did Joan Pope have the same advantages?"

"No one here expected a vow of chastity, if that's what you're asking. She wasn't a virgin, but she wasn't a whore either."

"We're not here to judge Joan's choices," Sharon cut through the tension, "we're here to find her killer."

Amanda tented her hands and leaned forward, "Sorry... sorry... old demons die hard. Both Joan and I have had our share of justifying our sexual choices in a world where people assume things about religious types."

"With whom?"

"Professors, old priests, family members, neighbours... every once in awhile we'd find someone who was convinced the church wouldn't have as many sex scandals if it didn't take such a hard line on celibacy, but mostly people just assume women interested in the church are there because they can't function as sexually mature adults."

"Anyone recently challenge Joan that way? Someone from her past, perhaps someone who went to school with her."

Amanda looked off in the distance, trying to think of anyone who would fit that bill."

"No...no, I can't think of anyone. I know she was enjoying a visit from an old school friend who came to stay about a month ago, but I don't recall him insulting her."

Pulling his interview notepad and pen from his jacket pocket, Andy nodded, "Do you have a name? Perhaps a room number and a description?"

"Ah... Jimmy Reid, Father James Reid, I believe. He couldn't get ordained here, but a Bishop in Africa agreed to ordain him. He lived there for about ten years, then came home and has been looking for a place to work."

"Catholic?"

"No, Episcopalian. Anglican actually, he grew up in England. Joan used to tell stories of how she would make him completely flustered when he would talk about the Virgin Birth and she would tell him about real birth. They laughed about that one."

"And what was his attitude towards women priests?"

"Completely against. Not even a hint that he could be otherwise convinced. Jesus was male, so therefore all priests had to be male. They even had a debate about it in the chapel one night. Jimmy said his bit about Jesus being male, and Joan countered by saying Jesus had to be a man in that culture to be listened to. But he didn't have any other power in society. She argued that the second coming would be a woman, probably handicapped and poor."

"Just like the people who live here."

"Just like the people who live everywhere and get forgotten."

Nodding, Sharon looked at Andy who returned to his line of questioning. "Can you give us a description?"

"Early 40's, tall, athletic build, black hair greying at the temples, really pale skin, always wore black, glasses, blue eyes, I think. He always walked with a bit of a hunch, almost like he didn't think he should stand up straight. I asked Joan about it one time, and she said that is how he's always walked."

"And what room was his?"

"Top floor, last door on your right."

Andy flipped his book shut and looked at Sharon, "The Upper Room."


	11. Chapter 11

"Lt. Provenza," Sharon spoke into her phone, "where are our people?"

She and Andy had left Amanda in the office, and had climbed the stairs to Fr. Reid's room. The door was unlocked, which didn't necessarily mean anything in a place like that, but it was certainly worth noting. Inside they found the room neat and orderly, Bible on the beside table, suit in the closet while the rest of his clothing was folded neatly in the drawers. On top of the dresser was a small, square box with a crucifix carved into the top. Andy pointed at it while Sharon was on the phone. When she nodded, he opened it to find a small chalice and paten, two glass cruets and a box for the host. Folded into a pocket in the top were a prayer stole and come Eucharist linens.

"Seems to be all there," Sharon said, putting her phone in her pocket. "Lt. Provenza is coordinating the search from a shrine in the back of the building. I've asked him to send Buzz up here to record all of this."

Andy walked over the the window facing the back of the building. "Yeah, I see the tent. Quite the view from up here. According to the plans, the property goes back beyond the tree line. There should be a fence even further back separating the convent property from a development project."

"Development project?" Sharon picked up on the idea. "Any chance they were wanting this land for their own purposes? Cut off the head and the beast dies, as we've seen time and time again."

"Yeah, that's possible. But when I got the plans the city clerk didn't say there was any problems.

"They might not know."

"But they usually do."

"True, nevertheless, it's worth pursuing."

"I'll get on that, Captain," he nodded as Buzz entered the room. "Right here, Buzz, let's start with the Mass kit."

"The what, Sir?"

"Right here," Andy lead him to the box. "See inside we've got the chalice and paten, that's the cup and plate. These two bottles would have held wine and water."

"Why the water?" Buzz asked.

"Well, from what I understand, Theologically you have water because when Jesus died, he was stabbed in the side and both water and blood came out. But practically, it's a way to extend the wine and sometimes water down some really bad stuff."

Buzz lowered the camera, "So which is it? Theological or practical?"

Andy chuckled, "That's what you learn the more you study church stuff, that a lot of what we take as traditional worship today actually started by being practical at another point in history."

"I think I'm starting to understand why there's so many problems between church people," Buzz said quietly, resuming his filming.

"You don't know the half of it, Buzz. Okay, in addition to the wine and water, this little box holds the Host, the wafers...

While Andy was showing Buzz around the room, Sharon looked out the window to see if anything caught her eye. The grounds really were impressive. They were quite natural looking, not manicured like many places in L.A., and Sharon wanted to see what they were like up close. Making a promise to herself to return and visit when this was all over, she turned back to see the others finishing their filming.

"I can't see anything else here, Captain," Flynn said. "It hardly looks like anyone has been here let alone committed murder in this room.

"That's true. Tape it anyway. If Fr. Reid returns, that will force him to come find us, and in the meantime it will keep others out. I still want the room dusted."

"I'll send a team up to do that as soon as we get downstairs. We should check in with Provenza to see who's done what."

Sharon nodded and the three left the room, stoping only long enough for Andy to put a large taped 'X' over the doorway.

Lt. Provenza greeting them down at the command tent, where he had spread the maps Flynn had procured. Walls fell on all sides obscuring their line of sight, but it also meant they were able to keep from prying eyes.

"What have we got?" Sharon asked as she entered.

"Captain, we're got teams going door to door in the convent, canvasing the residents. Unfortunately word got out that we were here and some have decided to vacate the premises. Getting prints in here is like picking up confetti, so I doubt they are going to be helpful. We don't have anything to compare them to right now as it is. Another team has gone back in the chapel to do another sweep and see if we missed anything before the daylight hours. According to this Amanda Vining, thank you for sending her my way, there aren't any passageways still available from the good old bad old days, so chances are slim someone was able to get through the cellars. But even still, we've got some K9 teams down there to see what they can find."

"Do we have a timeline up yet?"

"Posted here? No. But Tao is keeping one on his computer."

"Just for reference Captain, assuming you are completely right about the symbolism on this one, I've made a parallel timeline with the Holy Week story, and by my calculations, we are about 16 hours after Jane Pope was murdered, which puts us about midday on the Jewish Sabbath before Easter Sunday."

"Thank you for being so thorough, Lt. Tao. I don't know if the extra timeline is going to mean anything, but it's good to keep following. Joan was raped, mutilated, murdered, the nails removed, and placed on the alter before the body was discovered, which means we were already through most of the Good Friday story before we even started. What else happened that might help us?" Sharon turned to Andy as she spoke.

"Tomb we've got, we still don't know who her killer was, so he could be her Pilate or her Roman soldier, there's no way to know."

Provenza leaned in to Tao. "What's he saying?" Provenza whispered.

"Pilate was the Roman official who ordered Jesus' death while the Roman soldier realized they had killed the Messiah and he fell to the ground under the agony of the truth," Tao whispered back.

Nodding, Provenza looked at the Captain, "So are you thinking we might be looking for someone who felt they could judge Joan, or someone who feels guilty when they realized what they'd done?"

"I'm not sure, but when Dt. Sykes said this killer couldn't decide if he loved her or hated her, and when Lt. Tao asked who would mutilate her and then offer her as a sacrifice, it had me thinking. We might be dealing with someone who is battling their own demons."

"Or mental illness."

"Exactly, they're one in the same, Lieutenant. This is your show, what do you think we have to do next?"

"Damned if I know, Captain. The motive on this one can go any number of ways, but we've got almost nothing for physical evidence, and the number of people with opportunity is never ending. It seems the more we try to fill in the blanks, the more questions we find. We were able to confirm earlier that she was the priest at worship last night, and then everyone left to go back to their rooms. So we've got a window between 11PM and 4AM when the murder was called in." Provenza said in exasperation, scratching his head as he moved around the enclosure. "Outside of that we've got nothing. Where was she raped and mutilated? How did the killer get her body into the chapel with no one seeing? How did he clean up this well?"

"I think we can answer one of those, Sir," Sanchez interrupted as he and Sykes entered the tent. "We were with one of the K9 teams, and they were able to pick up a sent into those trees. We found a small fire pit that had been recently used, as well as pillows and two used condoms."

"Well," Provenza said grimly, "looks like we're getting somewhere at last."

Together they left the Command Tent, leaving behind one of the beat cops to ensure no one entered who wasn't part of the LAPD, and followed Sanchez into the trees. The site was far enough in the trees that a casual observer would never have known anyone was in there. It was a small enclosure, less then ten yards square, with the telltale remnants of a fire off to one corner.

"Look at this, Captain," Sykes pointed at two pillows with burned holes in the middle where spikes could have been. "And there's rope scattered around here and there," she continued to point.

Sharon nodded. "Buzz, get everything. We're going to loose daylight soon with the thick canopy overhead. Whomever did this choose the spot well. Even that fire wouldn't have produced enough smoke to be seen."

"Maybe, Captain, but the path is well worn. This place wasn't a secret, either," Andy countered, "and the brush is cut back far enough that anyone could have carried a body in and out of here easily."

"You're right, Lieutenant. But we still have to work with the presumption it was fairly private, because surely a woman having spikes driving into her hands and ankles would be been reported by a witness."

"You thinking no one would care about the rape, Captain?" Sykes asked, disturbed.

"Unfortunately, if she was drugged, she wouldn't have put up a struggle. Bag everything, I don't want to take chances we've overlooked anything helpful. Get the condoms to the lab for analysis."

"And what do you think the cloth is, Captain?" Provenza asked, looking at the ground. "That's a whole lot of torn black fabric when the victim was tied with rope."

"If I had to guess, Sir," Sanchez offered, "that looks like rent garments."

Provenza looked confused, but Sharon squatted down beside some of the fabric, "Looks like our suspect was dealing with a lot of guilt."

"Captain," Andy called, having gone down another path while everyone was talking. "I think you want to see this."

Sharon lead the others towards Andy, and stopped when she saw what he had discovered. "Damn it!"


	12. Chapter 12

_Judas, being one of the twelve closest to Jesus, began to question what was happening. Was the Lord truly taking them to the Holy City and certain death? As the days passed one to another, he became more uncomfortable with what was happening and knew Jesus had to be stopped. Steeling away one evening, he found the Temple Priests and told them he would deliver Jesus to them. The Sanhedrin thanked him and gave him thirty pieces of Silver._

_ "I don't want this," Judas told them_

_ "Take it, do good for others if you don't want it yourself."_

_So Judas took the money and waited for an opportunity. Not many days later, at the first evening of the Feast of the Passover, Judas and many of the others were sitting in the Upper Room with Jesus. Again Jesus was talking about many thing, both understandable and cryptic. Judas hadn't really been paying attention until he heard the word "betray". Quickly he raised his head and challenged Jesus. They spoke roughly to each other and finally Jesus said "Do as you have to do."_

_Judas was so angry and hurt, he got up from the table and left the room. The silver coins were heavy in his purse, but no heavier then his heart, as he stormed towards the Temple._

_ "You really want him?" he practically screamed at the priests, "you can have him. Come with me."_

_ Swiftly they walked through the streets, across the bridge and out the gates of the city, until they got to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus had been praying by himself, and looked up when Judas approached. When Judas kissed him on the cheek, Jesus did not move, but rather looked at one of his favoured followers and asked "By a kiss, Judas?"_

_The soldiers led Jesus away in ropes, and the other disciples scattered. Only Judas remained in the garden to watch and realize what had happened. How did his anger get him to this point?_

_The next day was full of gossip, news and finally death. Judas was overcome with guilt and grief. "Why did you kill him?" he demanded of the Sanhedrin. "I thought you would only arrest him, jail him and let him come to his senses. I didn't agree to killing him."_

_ "Be quiet," the High Priest snipped, "you did your duty to God, you've been well paid. What did you think was going to happen?"_

_ "I didn't agree to this," Judas cried again._

_ "That's your problem," the High Priest responded, then laughed at Judas when he threw the money from his purse on the ground and ran away._

_ Not many hours later, the body of Judas was found hanging in a tree, not far from where he betrayed the one he loved._

**_The Gospel of Christ_**

**_Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ_**

XXX

The ground was littered with eye glasses, more black cloth, pictures of Joan in happier times and a narrow, white plastic tab that had once been the distinguishing feature in a priests' shirt.

"Son of a bitch," Provenza said from behind.

"Now what?" Tao agreed.

Sanchez and Sykes just stared, but Sharon shook her head and crossed her arms. She hated when thing developed in this manner.

"Explains why we didn't have any evidence of Fr. Reid being in his room recently," Andy commented, as he looked at the body hanging from the tree, swinging slightly in the breeze that came through the dense underbrush. Around his neck was a sign that read "Iudas".

"This is one part of the story I really could have done without," Sharon said to no one in particular.

"We can't totally rule out foul play, Captain, given the circumstances."

"No Lt. Provenza, we can't. But I'm thinking the odds of that are slim to none. Call it in anyway. We need the coroner out here and we have to collect all of this evidence."

"Look at these, Captain," Sykes started, holding some of the pictures in her hand. "I guess I was right after all. He did love her and hate her."

Sharon took the pictures out of Amy's hand and looked at them. Joan and Jimmy Reid smiled back at her in one, laughed about a private joke in another, and bowed their heads together in a third. "Look at this one," Sharon pointed back at Amy, and the younger detective looked at a smiling picture of Joan with a less-than-pleased looking Jimmy in the background.

"There's history there, Captain. Want me to go see what I can find out?"

Sharon nodded then Amy departed.

"I'll go see what I can dig up too," Tao started. "With two names, I've got more possibilities."

"Update the two timelines as well, Mike."

"Will do, Captain."

"Sanchez," Provenza called as he left the opening, pushing Buzz ahead of him. "Let's deal with this."

"Yes, Sir."

Sharon and Andy were left alone, looking at the new body. "What are you thinking?" Andy asked her.

"Mmm... just how much passion there was between these two and how it was never properly realized. How their calls to ministry were so similar and yet so different. How she trusted him with her mind but not her heart, and he wanted it all. Did he rape her because she said no or because she said yes? Was he drugged also, or just her? How long had he been thinking about doing this, because it obviously wasn't a last minute decision. This was calculated. Look at the wording around his neck, it isn't even in English. What made him do this? Any of it?"

"These methodical types usually leave a diary or journal somewhere so those of us cleaning up the mess can understand their motivation."

"I wonder where he left it. It wasn't in his room."

"I dunno, we didn't touch the Bible on his bedside table. That would be my first hunch."

"Mmm, true," Sharon nodded. "The lab will have to give us more specifics, but if I had to guess, I think that's the same rope that was used to tie Joan to the pillows. It looks crude enough."

"That would make sense, it tied them both to their fate. There's symmetry in that."

"Yes, and if there's one thing we know for sure in this murder, it's deeply symbolic. I know Lt. Provenza is right, that all murders make a statement, but this one... this one..." Sharon shook her head, lost for words.

"Hey," Andy said, moving behind her and squeezing her shoulders, "we can be pretty sure we don't have a psycho on the loose, that's good news."

Sharon chuckled, "Sometimes what stand for 'good news' in this job really needs to be evaluated."

Andy chuckled with her, then they both grew sober again. Tilting his head to the side, Andy pulled gloves from his back pocket and approached Fr. Reid's body. Lifting his left hand, he looked more closely then over at Sharon.

"What did you find?" she asked, coming closer herself.

"Second degree burn blisters on his left hand, meaning he held the spikes with his bare hands and he pounded them into her."

"Huh... we'll need Dr. Morales to confirm, but if he has blisters then there was some real time between when he mutulated her and when he died."

"It is possible that someone hung him up here in retaliation for her death."

"True, but I think we would have seen more signs of a struggle."

"His clothes get torn while he fights someone, his glasses are pulled off, they get the jump on him and hoist him, then put the sign around his neck. He obviously loved Joan, so maybe..."

"Maybe it was someone else altogether, and they were out here just being together? Doesn't explain the rape. Dr. Morales said nothing about normal sexual activity before or after rape."

"True," Andy continued, "but if this was their Garden of Gethsemane..."

Nodding, Sharon finished the sentence, "Then there would have been others here."

"Right, there's no way I can figure this, that he brought her out here after Maunday Thursday Mass, drugged her, tied her, raped her, banged spikes in her hands and ankles, pulled them out and washed her, snuck back into the chapel with her body, prepared the table, then came back out here and killed himself. That's a whole lot of activity for one man in a four-to-five hour window. And with two used condoms? The sex alone at his age and probably level of ability, would have been close to an hour. He still had to tie her feet together before shoving the spike in."

"I guess we won't really know until we have him back in the morgue. We also need to compare the paper and handwriting around his neck, with the verse shoved in Joan's mouth." Sharon nodded, "Andy, I'll be so glad when this evidence starts giving us answers rather than just more questions."

"You and me both, Cap'n, you and me both..."


	13. Chapter 13

"It's going to be awhile before the lab comes back with anything, Ma'am," Sanchez came up behind Sharon as she stared out the window towards the setting sun.

"I know, Detective," she sighed.

Sanchez was about to move on when Sharon continued, "I just can't help thinking that yesterday at this time Joan Pope was preparing to preside at Maundy Thursday service. She was probably fulfilling a dream she gave to herself because the church wasn't going to do it. Maybe she had been working on her sermon for weeks... months... years... Did she vest or was she dressed casually? Did she have any acolytes or assistants? Did she prepare to wash the feel of the man who would ultimately kill her? Did she spend the day in prayer or in busywork? Did she plan ahead to her Good Friday celebrations or was she a one-ceremony-at-a-time presider. Did she have an Easter Vigil in her Holy Week plans? Was she going to watch the sun come up Easter morning? Did she look forward to this time every year or did the season surprise her by how quickly it came after Christmas? Did she fast and pray the entire forty days, or was this the only week that she put effort into?"

"Tao found an online journal that she kept, Ma'am. It might help you feel more connected if you read it. I can get him to set it up in your office."

Sharon smiled at Julio, "Sorry... I was getting melodramatic when this case needs clear thinking."

"I don't know about that. I think when we get lulls during an investigation, we all start to wonder about the victims and the killers. Flynn really insists we know everyone by name, and that's his way in to remembering these people started out with lives and thoughts and dreams, and none of them expected to be on a slab in our morgue. I think it comes pretty natural to all of us to relate to the victim. Doesn't mean we aren't clear minded and professional when it's needed, it just means they matter to us."

"Thank you for that, Julio. I don't usually get wistful, but it's nice to know I'm not alone. And please ask Mike to send those files to my office."

Sanchez nodded and went to find Tao. Sharon remained at the window for a few moments then made her way back into the murder room.

"What's the state of our investigation?" Sharon commanded.

Det. Sykes jumped up immediately and moved towards the white board. "Well Captain, there is definitely a long history between Joan Pope and Fr. James Reid. They met at Notre Dame and shared many of the same classes. Apparently he took courses with your aunt as well, but after some arguments he dropped the class. He didn't like what Dr. Shuller was teaching."

"Can't say that surprises me," Sharon commented offhandedly. "Continue..."

"Right, well all the evidence we collected has been sent to the lab for analysis, but we haven't heard anything back yet. Lt. Flynn has been reviewing the contents of Fr. Reid's room..."

"Yeah Captain," Flynn started, "looks like Reid did leave a few notes on a folded sheet in his Bible, but so far it's not explaining too much."

"So you think there is a second journal somewhere, or is this just a killer who doesn't fit the profile?"

"Well... I'm starting to think he took it all to confession rather than writing it for anyone else to see."

"Confessions need priests," Sharon commented hopefully.

"Not in the English church."

Before Sykes had a chance to ask, Flynn looked over his shoulder at her and said, "It's just shorthand, Sykes. Calling something the Roman church means Catholic, Russian means Russian Orthodox, English means Anglican or Episcopalians, German is Lutherans. It's not a perfect system, but it usually works."

Sharon saw Amy close her mouth and lower her hand, and couldn't help smiling to herself. If nothing else, her squad was getting an education on church issues.

"Okay, since Amy didn't get to ask, I will. Why don't priests in the 'English' church hear confessions?" Tao asked, having returned from Sharon's office.

"It's all in the Theology. In the Catholic and Orthodox churches, we believe the priests are our first connection to God, but the Reformed and Protestants have a direct line. The Episcopalians sometimes have priests for confessions, but it's not common." Sharon answered him.

Andy nodded, "Yeah, I think they call themselves Anglo-Catholics, high church and traditional, when they confess to priests. But regular churches have personal confessions. If this Fr. Reid could find an Anglo-Catholic parish, he might have confessed to that priest. Otherwise I don't think he left us anything to go on."

"Okay, I agree it's a long shot, but it's one worth taking. Andy, could you and Lt. Provenza go see what you can find in that vein, and on the way back grab dinner for everyone?"

"Sure, Captain," Flynn stood and clicked his pen to take orders before he went in search of Provenza."

"Good, okay Amy, what else?"

"Not much until reports come back, Captain. Lt. Provenza went down to see when Dr. Morales would be finished the autopsy. Otherwise we've just been going through Joan's computer to see what we can find. Thankfully she was very comfortable with technology, and kept everything on her computer from personal emails to business for Bet-Neshar to a journal. We're just seeing if any of that is helpful."

"Captain," Tao continued, "I set up the journal pages on your computer, they're in the flash drive."

"Flash drive, Lieutenant?" Sharon was surprised he hadn't just emailed them to her.

"They're extensive, and I'm not understanding a whole lot of what she's talking about. It seems like she's almost... praying, if that makes sense?"

"A prayer journal," Sharon nodded, "yes, that does make sense. I'll go read it and see if I find anything significant. Alright everyone, looks like you have everything under control, as always. If you need me, I'll be in my office. And Andy, I'll have the usual."

"Right, Captain," Andy nodded as he finished taking everyone's requests. "Come on, old man," he said as he grabbed a confused Provenza by the arm and lead him back towards the elevators."

Sharon went the long way back to her office, stopping first at the Break Room to make tea, and listened while Provenza grumbled about being taken somewhere without his knowledge. By the time she returned to her desk, she felt more prepared to see what Joan had been writing.

"_Lord, I confess that I've sinned against you in thought, word and deed, by those things I have done and those things which I ought to have done... and I didn't. I'm so sorry I didn't take care of those children today. It broke my heart to let them leave, but I know their mother is a good person. I wish I could help her, but it has to be her choice. Please forgive me for not being stronger and insisting that family stay. And please bring them back so we will have another chance to make a difference in their lives."_

Sharon noted after reading a few pages, that aside from the computer time-stamping each updated entry, there was no way of knowing when they had been written. Joan hadn't written these for anyone else to see years later. Sharon found it disturbing to realize Joan never intended to have anyone come after her, either as a child or as a student. It was a rather sad observation and spoke again to how isolated their victim had been in her personal life.

"_I lift mine eyes, mine eyes to the mountains. Today was so beautiful. Thank you, gracious Creator. Seeing those paths being make through the trees and being able to walk up behind the convent was such a blessing. Tindel Construction has agreed to the fence I requested, so long as we cover it with ivy or some kind of vine to hide the metal. I couldn't agree more, and now we will have added safety for the people who stay here. Thank you so much for opening his mind."_

"_Filmed this video today. What a funny animal. I don't think the squirrel knew he had an audience. Amanda will probably give me hell for not finishing the statements, but this was worth it."_

Sharon had been going over the journal entries for hours. Some were prayers, some personal notes, others comments on her day. The last one caught her imagination, however, and she pushed the line to speak with Lt. Tao.

"Mike, did we find a camera or cell phone or anything that could make videos?"

"Um... no Captain, there's nothing in the evidence list. Want me to send someone back to look for them?"

"Yes, it seems our victim sometimes taped things of interest. Do we have much saved on her computer?"

"Just going through that now, Captain. Most of them are lectures she'd either bought or attended. Stuff for her dissertation, I'm guessing. Nothing personal yet."

"Okay, keep me informed."

"Will do."

Sharon pushed another button to end the call, and leaned back in her chair. "Were you scattered or too focused for your own good?" she asked the scene in front of her, then continued to read.

"_Solomon had it right... tonight's Saturday night special is the way to go. I do love being the honeycomb!"_

Sharon was so surprised she had to laugh and could only assume Joan had been talking about the Song of Songs in the Bible. Amanda had said neither she nor Joan denied their sexual sides, and that seemed about right. Sharon quickly scrolled through the Song of Solomon on her phone, and smiled when she reached the relevant passage. "I'm so glad you had this in your life," she whispered to Joan's memory.

XXX

(**Ed note**: Many people think the Bible is a continuing series of unscientific, 'don't do this' lists, but it's merely a narrative of people trying to understand and relate to God. The book mentioned above, **Song of Songs** or **Song of Solomon**, in some translations, is a book of Erotic Poetry in the Persian traditions. I'm quoting loosely from the beginning of Chapter 5.)


	14. Chapter 14

"We really need to stop meeting like this, Captain."

"I was thinking the same thing, Doctor."

"Perhaps next time we can choose a table that doesn't include a body... maybe something that doesn't have a _bouquet d'apres mort_... something festive?"

"Sounds like an idea, but until then, let's discuss the table we have in front of us."

"Okay, then... definitely one Fr. James Reid, I checked his dental records. He's in perfect health except for being dead."

The door opened as Dr. Morales was speaking, "Aw... you started without me?" Andy complained.

"Gentlemen, while I appreciate the need for humour, I lost mine some time ago. You two can keep this up after I leave, but for now can we just have the facts as quick and as straight as possible? Thank you."

Raising an eyebrow, Andy nodded at Morales. If the Captain actually admitted she had no humour, the stress was obviously worse than he imagined. "You want me to take this one?" Flynn asked her gently. "I can call in someone else."

"No Lieutenant, thank you but you don't have to manage me. I'll get through just fine. Doctor, what did you find."

"Okay, quick and dirty," Dr. Morales started, after exchanging one more glance with Flynn. "The rope used on the good Father here, was definitely the same used to bind the other victim. Since only one set of Epithelials was found on the rope and there wasn't any sign of struggle, I'm going to say this was suicide, most definitely self-inflicted."

"The torn cloth?"

"He did it himself. He had some fibers under his fingernails, as well as cells from our first victim. The burns on his left hand suggest he was holding something extremely hot. The pain would have been excruciating, so I'm not sure how he managed. Using measuring systems I'm sure you don't want me explaining, I can confirm that this man, or someone equally endowed, was the rapist. He had fluids from the first victim around his mouth, on his hands and throughout his entire groin. There was nothing else either on his body or on his clothing, which suggests she did not fight him. His right hand is marked with what appears to be bruising from a stone or something sharp and irregular used with force. On his index, forefinger and thumb, there is ink that matches both the note around his neck and that shoved into the first victim's mouth. And just to clarify, the foreign dried fluids on the first victim's mouth was only saliva."

"So, there was a limit to how he wanted to humiliate her," Flynn said sarcastically. "Anything else?"

"Time of death, roughly two to three hours before our other victim."

"Before?" Sharon's head snapped up.

"Yes, Captain. And one other thing, I'm not smelling anything on him that resembled the sent of oil the first victim was washed in. I took a swab just to make sure, and nothing. This man did not move Joan Pope to her final position or rub oil on her body."

Sharon's knees gave slightly as she leaned forward. "Another killer?" She said with incredulity.

When Flynn stepped in to help her, Sharon waved him away and stood tall again.

"Not another killer, Captain," Dr. Morales informed her, "but THE killer. I went back to review my notes on the first victim, and while the rape, the binding and nailing her hands and ankles was horrible, she was still alive when that happened. If she was drugged, she would have reacted to the pain but not really registered it."

"Would that have been enough to have her pass out and he thought he had killed her?" Andy asked, still keeping an eye on Sharon.

"That's quite possible, Lieutenant. She wouldn't have felt the rape at first because as crude as it sounds, that's what the female body is made for. The nailing of her hands would have caused great pain, especially with a burning spike, and she would have responded to that with movement and facial grimacing even if she was drugged."

"And we've already established that he raped her twice before he tied her legs and nailed her ankles."

"Right. I'm guessing he drugged her when she resisted, he took her to that clearing in the woods to rape her the first time. Possibly his mix of attraction and hatred took over and he tied her with the rope. You didn't find a knife at that crime scene, so I think the rope might have been cut before that. Then he nailed her hands, got aroused and raped her again before tying her feet and breaking her ankles. I don't understand myself, but some men get extremely turned on by the sight of a woman in pain." Morales shuddered at his last thought.

"If she responded to the pain of her hands and the rape, would the pain of breaking her ankles overwhelmed her to the point of unconsciousness?" Sharon asked.

"Personally, I really hope so. Professionally, I think that would be a safe assumption."

"Okay," Sharon started, pacing the small area by the morgue door. "He brings the rope and spikes to the clearing, drugs Joan and takes her there. But why not bring a hammer? Why so much premeditated and the rest so haphazard?"

"I can't answer that, Captain, but I can say the rope was embedded with soil from the clearing, so that was there longer."

"I wonder..." Sharon kept pacing. "Doctor, is it possible that the entire crime against Joan, outside the drugging and rape which was clearly premeditated, was a crime of convenience?"

"What are you thinking, Captain?" Flynn was surprised.

"I read her journal, and she talks about building a fence behind the tree line dividing it from the development project on the other side, and she mentions the agreement includes planting ivy or some other vine to cover the fence. Do you think Fr. Reid used a stone because he couldn't find a hammer lying around, but the other items, the spikes and previously cut rope, were left overs from the fence building and gardening project that hadn't been cleaned properly? The torn clothing, glasses and used condoms were definitely his, but they were all something he came into the woods with anyway. Do you think he just grabbed the spikes and rope from the litter around him?"

"But what about the pillows?" Flynn asked.

"Maybe he was setting up a love nest. Maybe he had hoped she would join him willingly. Doctor," Sharon turned to Morales, "Rohypnol... was there anything in his pocket suggesting he might have brought that with him also?"

"I'm not sure, Captain," he answered, moving to take a closer look at the priest's clothing. After digging through a few pockets, he pulled one inside out. "I'm seeing powder here. I'll have to swab to confirm, but it looks like he did take the pills with him. This won't tell us if he gave them to her before they got to the enclosure or after, though."

"No, it won't," Sharon agreed, "but it will give us a better sense of what he drugged her with.

"Still doesn't explain the burning hot spikes, Captain," Flynn pointed out.

"No it doesn't," she agreed, "but we already know there was a small fire there. Maybe the spikes used in building the fence were inside the pit already, or maybe in his haste he kicked them in. Or maybe, as we originally suspected, he purposely put the spikes in the fire to nail her. None of that really matters now, but if there are other spikes in the area, we can at least mark this more as a crime of passion than pre-meditated brutality and murder."

"And the rape?"

"Oh, the rape is the rape, there's no excuse for that one. Fr. Reid is a rapist, and I will file that truth with anyone who asks and many who won't. But somewhere along the way, his misplaced sense of affection for Joan Pope changed into hatred and blind rage. Did that happen in the clearing or before? That's the difference between him being a Rapist and Cold Blooded Killer, and being a Rapist guilty of Manslaughter."

"He's still not the killer, Captain," Dr. Morales reminded her.

Sharon put her hand to her forehead, amazed she had forgotten that crucial point. "Mmm, you're right. So where does that leave us?" she said more to herself than the others.

"Let's run this down," Flynn started counting on his fingers. "He bring Joan into the clearing in the woods after Maundy Thursday service, which we don't know if he attended. He drugs her either before or after. He rapes her, which is definitely pre-meditated. He ties her to the pillows with rope he either cut and brought with him or found lying around. He nails her hands into the pillow with spikes either consciously or unconsciously heated in the fire he set. He burns his hands in the process, but his pain seems nothing to him. He watches her twist in agony and then probably rapes her again, using yet another condom. Why this level of self-protection, I don't know. Then he ties her feet, nails her ankles with another spike, watches her pass out. He gets up, believing he's killed her. His rage is replace by his grief. He walks around a bit tearing his clothing, then walks off to a tree either taking more rope with him or finding that lying around too. He makes a noose, writes a sign and puts it around his neck, climbs the tree to tie the rope, then falls with it around his neck, basically killing himself as he watches the woman he loves, who he thinks he already killed."

"If it wasn't for the rape and nailing burnt spikes through her body, this would be practically Romeo and Juliette," Morales chuckled.

"Doctor..." Sharon looked over her glasses.

"Sorry. Depending on the way plants were packaged, the noose might already have been tied. That would go with your theory that he found his tools in the woods, Captain. Maybe he saw the noose and the idea of suicide seemed like the most logical conclusion for him."

"That would also explain why he didn't leave any form of confession behind, Captain," Flynn added. "It's as good a working theory as any."

"Yes, but it's still not our killing moment. What is?"

"Ah, that would be the sword into the side. It nicked her heart and she bled out. That was the real cause of death."

"So, whomever placed her on that table and prepared it for Eucharist, was the actual killer. Would she have regained consciousness at all, Doctor?"

"That's hard to say. If the spike in her ankles caused her to pass out, then any movement would have continued the pain and kept her unconscious. Removing the spikes would have been excruciating also. It's quite possible that the person who found her thought she was already dead..."

"And they wouldn't know they were the actual murder," Sharon finished the thought.

"Who could do that?" Flynn wondered.

"Someone strong enough to carry her and pull out the spikes. Someone who knew how to set the table for Mass and prepare a dead body. Someone who thought she was the ultimate sacrifice. Mental illness or strong devotion?" Sharon looked at Andy.

"Both, I'm guessing."


	15. Chapter 15

"My Grandma was Baptist," Amy said as she approached Sharon by the window.

They had been on this case since the wee hours of the morning, and though Sharon had told various members of her squad to go home and get some rest, none of them had gone. The intensity of this murder was felt by all of them, even if they didn't understand the underlying tone of the motives. Sharon had no intention of leaving, but she found herself drifting in thought more and more, and hearing Amy surprised her. She didn't realize she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings.

"Oh?" Sharon responded meekly.

"Yeah, I used to go to church with her when I was a kid. I just remember it being really hot and really long. The music was good, though."

Sharon smiled, "Yes, I bet it was. I never grew up with Gospel Music around me, but I go to concerts every chance I get. There have been some really good writers over the years.

"I don't really get this..." Amy started shyly.

"Which part?"

"Any of it. I don't understand what all the symbols mean and the bowing... I've never seen that."

"No, you wouldn't have."

"Why is that? Because it was Baptist?"

"Exactly."

"Julio keeps telling me I'm on the other side of the Reformation, whatever that means."

Sharon giggled at the thought. She really was getting over tired.

"See..." Amy continued, "you know what that means. I don't. Lt. Flynn said something about Catholics being opposite Protestants, but that doesn't mean anything to me."

Sharon smiled at the younger woman, "Not opposite, exactly. Just different. The Catholic church has been around since the beginning of Christianity, all 2000 years. But about seven or eight hundred years ago, a group of people started protesting all the rules and restrictions of the church. The first one to make it stick are who we call the Reformers. Martin Luther, John Calvin, Thomas Cramner, men like that. Those who followed them considered themselves part of the Reformation, like our victim Joan and her rapist. After that, others came along who thought the reforms didn't go far enough. Men like John Wesley, um... George Fox... John Knox. They didn't like how the Reformers still did a lot of things the way the Catholics did, so they got rid of the bowing and weekly Eucharist, they destroyed art and music. It was a really sad time in church history. A lot of buildings were torn down that had stood for centuries. Men and women were thrown out of monasteries and convents, and the building burnt."

"That sounds horrible," Amy exclaimed, surprised to hear about the destruction.

"Oh it was, especially if you considered yourself Catholic. They were convinced the world was ending and that the Protestants were from the devil. But if you were Protestant, you felt the doors were being thrown open and you were finally able to worship in freedom. That's how this country got settled, in all honesty. Protestants who didn't want any more fighting came to these shores to build a country where everyone could worship as they pleased, even the Catholics. We don't hear that too often in Thanksgiving stories, but the first pilgrims were looking for somewhere to live without rules restricting their faith."

"Huh, I didn't realize that. But the Pilgrims weren't eight hundred years ago."

"No, the first Reformers were killed for their efforts. But more came, and eventually things changed."

"All men?"

"No, but those who had the freedom and education to write were men. Women were involved, but you know... homes and families. Not much time left over to change the world."

"I guess that's why our vic never got married."

"Mmm, that's one possibility. She certainly couldn't live her vision unless she had someone to share it with her."

"Do you thing this Fr. Reid shared her vision, or at least parts of it? Maybe she wanted him to?

"I don't think so. She doesn't really talk about him in her journal, so I think the affection was one sided. I think she was one of those women who just didn't want to be married or have children, and since she fought social convention in the church, why not in her personal life? I didn't read anything showing regrets for focusing on her career instead of having a family."

"For such a modern woman, I just... I dunno. She could have done anything, so why fight with an institution that was never going to treat her like an equal?"

"And just give up? The church wasn't made for men and it shouldn't be controlled by men."

"I guess this hits a little close to home, eh?" Amy asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, just that you're an intelligent woman and it sounds like you agree with Joan's fight, and your Aunt wrote all about it and taught Joan. You could have walked away, but you didn't. I'm just saying you understand her... what makes her tick."

"Some of it, yes I very much do. It's at these times when I remember the Roman Catholic Church is just an institution, like the LADP or the government or anything else with rules and restrictions, and none of these places would be open to women without fighting for the chance. But the Christian church itself is everyone and everything, and when you follow Jesus and believe his teachings, no one is excluded."

"I just don't know why you bother," Amy shook her head.

Sharon smiled. She had heard it all before and there weren't enough words in any language to really explain it. It was something each person had to experience on their own. "That's okay. Sometimes I don't either."

"Then..."

Sharon's phone rang to end the conversation, and she motioned the younger woman to follow her into the murder room.

"What do you have Lieutenant," Sharon looked at Tao.

"I've got a recording of the debate that took place earlier this week between our vic, Joan Pope, and her rapist, Fr. James Reid."

"Didn't her business partner, ah.. Amanda Vining, suggest it was a little heated?" Andy asked.

"Not in so many words, but I definitely understood that to be the case."

"If you consider the guy turning all shades of red as he argued his point, then that would be heated, Captain," Tao said as he cued the video.

_Jesus is male, that's the end of it. You can't argue that point._

_No, and I don't intend to. Of course he was male. He had to be male in that society to be heard. No woman was able to speak in public._

_It didn't matter, Jesus was a male because God was a male and therefore all priests must be male._

_Jimmy, that is ridiculous. Even in Genesis, it clearly says 'we will make humans in OUR image'. Plural. You and I were both in Hebrew class the day we learned those words. OUR image, meaning more than one image, meaning male AND female_

_That only proves that it was plural, a male God and a male Son, there are more than one hence 'our', but it's still male._

_Oh please, the plural meant both male and female, and Genesis goes on to say both male and female were created in God's image_

_Image of love and compassion, not physical image_

_Then how can you be sure God is male if there isn't a physical image._

"Captain, here's where you see his temper really flaring."

Sharon nodded at Tao as she continued watching the screen.

_God is male! And to further prove that point Jesus came as male. He couldn't have come as a female because he was already male._

_Jimmy, don't you believe in omnipotence?_

_Of course I do, what kind of question is that?_

_God came in the form we could deal with at that time, which was a male. Not too rich, but not dirt poor. Educated but not powerful. He came as the son of a middle class merchant from a distant village and not any of the royal cities. He came as someone who could relate to everyone._

_Exactly! HE came so that HE could relate._

_The last time he came as male, because he couldn't wander around and talk to people in town otherwise. A woman wouldn't have been allowed to speak to any man but her husband and other relatives. God had to come as a man to do the job._

_Yes, the job only a man could do, which was to represent God to the people._

_Even Paul didn't buy that one, Jimmy. In his letter to Corinth, he said there wasn't male or female. God isn't male or female._

_Paul told Corinth the women had to be silent because the men were at worship. That's what Paul had to say on the matter._

_Jimmy, you don't get to rewrite scripture to support your argument. Paul knew a lot of women in ministry who were priests and missionaries, just like he was. Paul wanted the women to learn because they were equal to men in God's eyes, even if the society of the day didn't believe it._

"Well Captain, there's our Corinthian's reference. Obviously he thought it was proof," Andy pointed out as Sharon nodded.

_Joan, that's completely beside the point. All of the disciples were male, just as the leaders of the church are to be male._

_Then why do the Orthodox recognize Mary of Magdalene to be the Apostle to the Apostles, giving her authority over the men?_

_The Orthodox? The Orthodox only have men as priests. You won't find them having a different opinion either. Men are priests alone. That's the way the church wants it. That's the way it is._

_No Jimmy, that's not the way it is at all, and that's not supported by history. Women were always priests, and they still are today. Church after church is recognizing that women are equal to men in everything, including the ordained priesthood. You know, I bet the second coming is going to be a woman, probably handicapped and poor, who is going to show people like you how wrong you are._

_BLASPHEMY! _

"That's the end of the debate, Captain."

"Go back a little bit, Lieutenant."

"How far, Ma'am?"

"To the start of Joan's final argument. Put it on slow and watch the audience."

Everyone looked more intently at the screen as heads nodded and hands went into the air.

"Wow, you don't usually see that in a convent," Andy said.

"See what?" Provenza asked.

"The hands rising," Andy pointed at the screen.

"What, like they're about to ask questions?"

"That's not questions, Lt. Provenza, that's praising, like they were at a tent revival."

"Yeah, but praising who Ma'am, God or Joan?" Sanchez asked the hanging question.


	16. Chapter 16

"Captain", Provenza started to chucking in a humourless manner, "are you trying to tell me you can see a difference in people's attitudes by the way they put up their hands?"

"All of us can," Flynn said lazily.

"That's a stretch, and you know it. Look... I took the same body reading courses that the rest of you did, and I can't tell the difference between what they're doing and what any debate would inspire. Sure tempers flared, and our rapists is obviously angry, but that would tell me the audience was full of questions."

"Some perhaps, but that was definitely a sign of worship, Lieutenant. Look, when was the last time you were at a Pentecostal Assembly?"

"I think she's right, Lieutenant," Amy added. "I've seen my Grandma and her friends do that. The hand goes up and they're usually laughing or smiling, but they're not asking questions."

"Et tu?" Provenza snapped at her.

"Hey... easy," Flynn jumped to Amy's defense. "Look, we're all getting punch drunk around here. We've been following breadcrumbs and pushing each others buttons, but we're one team. No one's turning on each other.. not now."

Regaining control of the room, Sharon said "Lt. Provenza, look at the arms again. Lt. Tao, slow it down."

"What am I look for, Captain?" Provenza said in a huff.

"Look at the arms going up. When people ask a question, the arm shoots straight up from their shoulder and usually stay that way."

"Yeah... and..."

"And look at these people. The hands are moving in front of them then upwards, elbows still bent, heads nodding, palms facing either forward or upwards. Some of them are pumping their arms."

"Okay, I see that. So it's not questions, so what?"

"So why is this in a convent? When was the last time you saw a nun doing something like that?"

"You mean aside from Bingo?" Provenza smirked, getting a chuckle from everyone.

"Yeah, besides that. Look, that's Evangelical behaviour."

"I'm going to hate myself for asking this, but what's the difference?"

"Okay," Andy started, "your basic Catholic or Reformer is pretty stayed in their worship. They'll kneel, they'll cross themselves, they'll even prostrate themselves on the floor, but they don't show enthusiasm. That's what Evangelicals do. They get whooped up, the speak in tongues maybe, they dance sometimes, they sing loudly, and they put their hands up in the air as a sign that God has touched them. That's what these people are doing."

"This is getting enthusiastic?" Provenza pointed at the screen and looked at Andy and Sharon dubiously.

"Oh yes, Lieutenant."

"I've seen more life at a bar, to be perfectly honest with you, Captain."

Sharon nodded, "Yes... but that's a different sort of gathering. Get a group of people in one room doing this and it's infectious. I'm Catholic, and I've even done it at some Gospel concerts."

"Seriously?" Andy smiled, intrigued to learn one of Sharon's secrets.

"Yes, Lieutenant. All it would have taken was a few people in that community getting excited by what Joan said to infect the room. As long as they were open to what she was saying, they would easily be caught up in everything. And it stands to reason that anyone who attended worship where she was presiding, would be open to her argument."

"That's a lot of people, Ma'am," Sanchez pointed out.

"Do we have any more footage of this debate, Lt. Tao? I wish we had something with people's faces."

"Sorry Captain, this is all we've got and I had to find it on her computer. I don't think Joan thought this was very important. It didn't even have a description on file, I just found it through the date stamp."

"I wonder... perhaps this was just for old time's sake with Jimmy? He's quite upset but she's not breaking a sweat. For all intents and purposes she's on home turf, and she's probably expressed these opinions before. So why... why would the crowd get excited like this if it's not new?"

"The debate format might do it. People always like a good fight," Andy suggested.

Sharon nodded thoughtfully.

"Here, what about Julio's question," Provenza started. "You think all these people are Christians? Maybe they are Joanians, here to worship at the feet of their goddess."

Sanchez glared at Provenza, but Sharon put her hand on his shoulder. "No, maybe Lt. Provenza is right. We've been approaching this as people against Joan as a priest, and we've already found the man who showed himself to be most opposed to her to the point of raping and mutilating her just a day after having this argument. He hated what she was saying, but the crowd loved it. Perhaps we're no longer looking for someone who thought Joan was ruining the church, but instead we're looking for someone who thought Joan was redeeming it."

"Crowd, like Palm Sunday?" Andy asked.

"Perhaps, but what did you say earlier today Amy, that whoever did this loved her and hated her? We've already found the person who hated her, even if he did love her a little. But I think now we're looking for someone who might have, dare I say... worshipped her? Do you think?" she looked up at Andy, then around the room.

"Makes sense," Amy started, earning a cry of exasperation from Provenza as he threw his arms up in the air. "No, no, I'm serious. This is a woman who gave her whole life to the convent, right? She spent time with the people there, teaching them and talking to them. She didn't turn anyone away. She always seemed to have little miracles to give them, like... like... shelter, and food, and helping them get clean, and a place for their kids to play like real children. You know, the miracles that really matter to people everyone seems to forget. If you don't know much about church but you're looking for someone to believe in, that sounds like a Messiah to me."

Andy nodded, "Well said, and I think you've nailed it, Amy. Joan was an extension of everything she taught and lived. These people had no idea she had a home across town where she was a different person."

"But she wasn't that different, Andy. She still had toys for the neighbourhood kids and a basement full of storage. She neglected her own yard but made sure things at Bet-Neshar were safe and beautiful for everyone."

"If you're right, Captain, Pope Joan would have had a following. I'll check to see who the permanent residents are. That might give us a clue as to who would have been convinced by her side of the debate."

"Those aren't original ideas, Lt. Tao," Sharon noted for him. "Every one of those points in a chapter in my Aunt's book, and I know for a fact others have been arguing those points for centuries. Joan felt comfortable in her beliefs because she wasn't alone."

"Knowing Mary didn't get her killed, you know that, right?" Andy looked at her.

"I know... I do. But I'm not sure I could convince Mary of that point if she was standing here in front of me."

"Mary would be happy that you are finding Joan's killer. That would matter to her. Look, we found her Judas and her Pilate, now we only got to find her Joseph and her Roman soldier and we'll have the whole story."

"Her who?" Amy asked.

"Her Roman soldier, that's the person who shoved a sword in her side, and her Joseph of Arimathea, the person who cleaned her body and laid it to rest. In our case, the person who put her on the table."

"Then who shoved the paper in her mouth?" Amy continued questioning. "Who in the story does that?"

"No one, but the paper was in her throat, not her mouth. I'm going to go with Fr. Reid here for doing the paper because it was his passage, his writing, and his anger. If the body was carried, her mouth could easily fallen open naturally or forced open by someone who wanted it that way, without them seeing the paper. It was dark."

"Makes sense. Anything else that we're missing, aside from the identity of the killer?"

"Yes Captain," Provenza looked up from his chair defiantly, but his bravado died as soon as he met her eye. "You... you looked exhausted and had your eyes closed when they came back with the massage oil. I... well I just sent it down to the lab to see what they could tell us. I put a rush on it."

"Massage oil?" Sharon crossed her arms and tilted her head in a way that everyone had come to interpret as 'talk, now'.

"Um... the search warrant, Ma'am," Sanchez started, "Sykes and I went room to room with the K9 unit. Dr. Morales had given us a sample he'd taken so the dogs could trace the smell. Well... we found a large bottle of massage oil in the Sacristy along with some of Joan's hair and some dirt on the floor. There wasn't any blood in the room. There were some wet cloths with mud on them. We sent them down to be analyzed, too. The massage oil was Musk Root, Ma'am. Nard."

"Nard?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Prints?"

"Maybe, they were quite smudged, but the lab might be able to get something."

"That would have been very expensive and hard to find. Any receipt?"

"I don't suppose you care to tell us what's so special about Nard, do you Captain? Or is it another of those church things."

"Lt. Provenza, Nard is the oil bodies were covered in before they were buried in the Ancient Jewish tradition. And I would honestly appreciate a truce at the moment."

Sharon didn't glare at him but Andy looked ready to kill. Retreating visibly, Provenza nodded, "Sorry Captain. I guess my exhaustion is taking my humour, too."

"That's alright, Lieutenant. We've been at this too long already. Receipt, Detective?"

"Ah, no Ma'am."

"Didn't Amanda say all of their paperwork was kept on their computers?"

"Yes she did. Lt. Tao?"

"On it, Captain," Mike said, busily typing on the keys. "I'm creating an algorithm and sending it through the database looking for the words 'nard' and 'musk root', to see what we find. This should sort through any reference to the oil in her personal journal as well as receipts and files for the convent."

They all waited for Tao's computer to find some answers. They slumped in various positions around the room while Sharon rolled her shoulders and tried to release the tension from her neck.

"Got it, Captain," Tao announced, bringing everyone closer. "It's an email, from one Mary Schuller." He looked at Sharon who nodded for him to continue. "It says '_Saw this at a booth at the conference. Terribly gaudy things they have and I don't believe for one second they actually brought these from Nepal. This is novel and the most inexpensive. I don't know what I would do with it, but I'm sure you can figure it out, ha ha. It will arrive shortly._' That's all it says. Dated six months ago."

"Your aunt wasn't..." Provenza started.

"Tactful? No, she sure wasn't," Sharon laughed while Andy smiled and nodded. "Academically she was brilliant. Socially she was anything but. Okay, this is a dead end on may fronts. That conference was in New York, so it didn't take months for the oil to arrive. Now... is there _anything_ else?"

Provenza shook his head, as did others when Raydor's gaze swept over them.

"Okay... that's it. We're exhausted and we have hours of research on the people who've been at the convent. Go home and sleep for a few hours, but be back early in the morning. I want to get this solved."


	17. Chapter 17

Sharon entered the murder room at six the following morning, expecting to be alone. Instead she was greeted by the hum of three computers and the sight of one of her Lieutenants still asleep on the floor.

"Let him sleep, he's only been out a couple of hours," Andy whispered behind her as he came up, sock footed to not make a sound.

Sharon gestured to her office and tiptoed over with Andy following behind. Once the door was closed, she lowered her heals and hung her purse on the coat hook. "I thought I told everyone to go home last night. I even walked out with you to your car. That is the suit you were wearing yesterday."

"Actually, I walked you to your car, and then I went to grab the sleeping bag and mat from my trunk. I didn't figure I would get much sleep anyway."

"Did you sleep at all?"

"Yeah, I got a couple of hours. Tao showed me the journal so I've been reading. Provenza has been hounding the night shift at the lab and looking to see if any of the pictures we have show the same people."

"Any luck?"

"Nah, not that he can see. With no security feed, it's pretty hard to know what we're working with. After awhile everyone sorta looks the same anyway."

"I know, that's why I said to get some sleep."

"Don't be too hard on him. After sniping at you like he did last night, he felt really bad. The old guy won't show it, but he really does care."

"I'll never tell," she smiled. "Okay, find anything?"

"Not much. She's pretty run-of-the-mill as far as I can see. Quite smart and well rounded, but nothing spectacular. Mary didn't pick her because she was brilliant."

"Mary would have picked her because Joan was excited about her topic."

"Exactly. So I read through. Lots of prayers for forgiveness and requests for the people at the convent. A real concern for the kids being dragged down by their parent's situations. A few funerals that really upset her. A wedding or two that probably weren't legal. Occasionally she mentions being with a man, but it's usually all about sex and nothing more."

"Yes, I noticed that when I read parts of her journal. She seemed to be more comfortable with Pope Joan than Joan Pope," Sharon noted, absently drinking the coffee she's picked up on her way to work.

"No mention of Fr. Jimmy at all, which is telling. Seems he was more interested in her than vice versa."

"I thought so. He did travel to her place of business, not the other way around. He was probably someone Joan could have fun with, but I can't see her ever being interested in someone so against what she wanted to be. She doesn't strike me as needy in the man department."

"No... definitely not. She talked about doing a lot of the physical work around the convent, so she wasn't scared to get her hands dirty."

"You know," Sharon started confidentially, "I wish I had known her. She sounds like the kind of person I would really have enjoyed spending time with."

"Yup, I was thinking the same thing. She really lived what she believed. How many of us can say we have that kind of integrity in our lives?"

"Mmm... anything else?"

"Um, she loved the gifts from your Aunt."

"Gifts? There were more?"

"Yeah, she thought the massage oil was funny, especially knowing how awkward Mary could be. Then there was the book, lots of books, not just Mary's but other authors as well."

"Okay, so what you're telling me is nothing in her journal points to anyone who would want her dead or saw her as someone to worship. She didn't even think enough of her rapists to bother talking about him. She didn't see this coming at all?"

"Nope. Jimmy gets a mention when he shows up unannounced, but he's greeted like a long lost brother. Every gift she gets seems to really surprise her. If she's being praised more than usual, it didn't go to her head enough to be written down, so I'm guessing she didn't have a clue. She had her eye on the ball, and didn't notice who had their eye on her."

"Admirable, but not helpful. Alright... and the lab?"

"Prints on the massage oil bottle were smudged. Some partials on the towels, but not enough to get an ID. But the towels and the dirt on the floor match the rope, so they all came from the same place."

"Figures, so... lets walk through this again. Jimmy shows up for a visit unannounced and Joan welcomes him like she does everyone else. She gives him a room with a great view, which just happens to be an upper room. Jimmy sees how the people at the convent adore her and starts to get jealous, either of Joan or for himself. He's had condoms in his pocket for how long? He's thinking of how it would be to finally be the one she chooses, but she never chooses him, so somehow he gets his hands on Rohypnol. If she doesn't come willingly, he'll have her another way. The tension builds to the point he's ready to explode, then the night comes where they debate each other. No one supports his time-honoured, traditional attitudes about women as priests. He's ready to explode and sits on that emotion all day long. Finally at night, on one of the holiest nights for a Christian, he watches Joan preside over Eucharist, something she shouldn't be doing but he should and yet no one will give him a church. She probably even washes his feet as a servant. Perhaps he strokes her hair or looks into her eyes, but the love he sees in them is the same look she is giving to everyone else. He either doesn't realize that or he does, and it angers him even more. Just before she presides, they would probably share the Kiss of Peace, and he gets the same kiss everyone else gets. Again, it flares his anger. Once she is finished, he what... leads her to the woods while everyone else is going to bed?"

"He probably gives her the laced drink before hand. There's no sign of resistance out in the woods."

"Right. He gives her a drink, she feels sleepy so he leads her out for fresh air, into the woods at the back where he's already formed a hideaway just for them. Pillows on the ground and a small fire to give light and warmth. So then... she stumbles, and he places her on the ground. He kisses her and she's completely his for the taking. Does he know she doesn't want children? Is that why he is careful? It would be a way of controlling her and always being linked to him."

"Maybe it's for his own protection. If he's keeping tabs on her he certainly knows she gets around. Maybe he doesn't want to catch anything from her," Andy shrugged the possibility.

"You could be right. He was certainly thinking when he purchased the condoms. Okay, he tears her clothing maybe, at least he exposes her and rapes her. She's probably had enough time with the drugs that she doesn't respond, which would fuel his anger. He wanted her to love him and she's lifeless. He's probably thinking if she wants to live like Jesus, he'll treat her like Jesus. He looks at the fire and sees that spikes were on the edges getting hot, so he grabs one and a stone and bangs it into her hand. That would get a response. Seeing the rope around he ties her to the pillows then grabs another spike to get a similar response. She moans, probably moving a little, and the excitement he feels allows him to rape her again, but again no real response to his body. Beyond rage he ties her legs then takes the last spike and nails it into her ankles. This time though, her reaction is incredible pain, which she hopefully didn't register consciously, and she passes out. He thinks he's killed her and comes to his sense. What has he done? He starts walking around, tearing his clothing and looking at her. He leans in for one last kiss and feels her cold lips, believing they are death but really they are cold because of the ground and night air. He doesn't think it through he just wanders off and finds the large tree with more rope underneath, one tied like a noose. At some point he wrote '1 Cor 14' on a piece of paper and shoved it into her mouth, and now he writes 'Judas' and puts it around his neck along with the rope. He pulls the tab from his shirt, looses his glasses, stops ripping his own clothing, then climbs the tree to attach the other end of the rope, and falls to his death."

"Yeah, and from that short distance, it wouldn't have been enough to snap his neck, so he choked to death."

Shaking her head, Sharon said, "I don't even want to think about it. I'm not sure if I should pity him or be relieved in his death."

"Well, he took the coward's way out, that's for sure."

"He did indeed. Okay. Someone either watched or came upon them in the woods. Perhaps they watched the rape and abuse, or maybe they came after the fact. Either way, someone showed up after the damage was done. They untied Joan's arms and legs and took the spikes out of her body, but when?"

"The rope was left behind, so that was done first. The spikes they took with them 'cause we didn't find them anywhere around the crime scene. So I'm guessing the carried her away with the spikes still in her, which would make the pain enough to keep her unconscious. If Jimmy-boy thought she was dead, then whoever picked up her body probably thought she was dead too."

"Right," Sharon nodded, "so we're still talking about someone with enough strength to get her out of the woods unseen, and probably around the time Fr. Reid's heart was stopping. There were no signs of struggle, and without his glasses he wouldn't have seen the person who took Joan's body. Whomever it was, he, she or they took her into the Sacristy, cleaned the dirt from her body and rubbed her with the massage oil, took the spikes out and kept them, then took her into the chapel and put her on the table."

"Then set the table too, they knew how to do that. The alter would have been cleaned after Maundy Thursday service, so they person or people who put her on the table knew what they were doing."

"Agreed. They laid her down looking upwards, her eyes and mouth open, and shoved a sword into her side, nicking her heart. Then they positioned the empty chalice by the blood pouring onto the table and the plate beside it, both faced outward so anyone coming in would see the table had been set. They lit the candle, and then left, taking the stakes and whatever Joan had been wearing with them. Who called it in? I know it was in my notes but I don't remember. A Sister someone?"

"Yeah, one of the official ex-Nuns who live at the convent. She went downstairs to start her daily office and found the body on the table. That's why we know the timeline is between 11 PM when the last of the Alter Guild left and 4 AM when Sister Anne, that's her name, went down to prepare for Matins."

"That's awfully early for a service that begins at dawn, isn't it, Lieutenant?"

"I asked her, it was her private prayer time," Andy shrugged, "I imagine old habits die hard. She's a little mite of a thing. She couldn't have done this herself, and no one that upset would have put the body on display."

"She talked to you but didn't identify the body? That's strange."

"She didn't really talk, she just kept folding her hands and crossing herself. All she told dispatch was a 'Murder at the chapel'. They had to figure out the location from the phone number. You know Captain, no one there has been terribly helpful. It's almost like they're all sad but don't want answers."

"I imagine if most of them are marginalized, they probably have seen many unexplained deaths in their lives. What's one more, even if it was their spiritual leader. They don't exactly trust us."

"Nope," Andy said as he looked out the window her Sharon's office. "And now the gang's all here. Time to wake the baby and get on with this."

Together they left the office and entered the murder room as the rest of the team found their seats to start the day.

"Good morning everyone, I trust you got a little sleep and can approach this with fresh eyes. Over the night we received the lab reports that said the items found in the Sacristy last evenings were definitely part of the murder, but no prints to match... epithelials?" Sharon suddenly asked, turning to Flynn.

"Yeah, but nothing that matched the database."

"Okay, but that's something to go on when we narrow down our suspect list. Male or female?"

"Both, but no telling how long they've been there. Those cloths get moved around more than they get used."

"Captain," Amy interrupted them.

"Yes?"

"I just got a call from the front desk. There's some people here to see you. They're coming up in the elevator."

"Did the front desk say why?"

"No, just that they were very anxious and excited."

"Okay. That's strange, especially on a Saturday. Meet them at the elevator, Detective, and bring them in."

"Right, Captain," Sykes nodded as she rose to leave the room.

"Andy has gone through the journal and no one seems to have stood out to Joan as a possible stalker or giving her inappropriate attention. The pictures, Lt. Provenza?"

"I can't be sure, Captain. Sorry," he yawned and stretched.

"Don't be, Lieutenant. We're getting closer. Perhaps we can look at them again and some fresh eyes might see some connections. Det. Sanchez, could you see what the Lieutenant was looking at and perhaps the two of you might see something."

"Captain," Sykes called, returning with three people behind her. They all looked excited and hopeful.

Sharon surveyed the visitors. The two older women looked to be well into their 70's, with thinning white hair pulled taunt against their heads. Their clothing was nondescript and looked like it had been picked from the cast-off bag sometime in the last century. Looking down at their shoes, Sharon saw matching grey shoes, sensible and strikingly similar to the ones worn by nuns and nurses. With them was a tall, young man who looked uncomfortable in his body. He seemed agitated and didn't share the excitements of his companions.

"Can I help you?" Sharon asked.

"Yes, we're here to see Joan," one of the woman announced as she moved forward.

"Joan?" Sharon was surprised, and quickly looked at the others in the room.

"Joan, dear," the first woman started calling as she walked further in the room, "we're here. You can come out now."

"I'm sorry..." Sharon started, "there's been a bit of a misunderstanding. Joan isn't up here with us."

"Oh... then just tell us where she is, and we'll take her home."

"Ma'am," Provenza started towards the other woman, "Joan's dead."

"Oh yes, we know that," the second woman nodded. "We were there, weren't we," she looked to the others. "But she's alive now and we've come to take her home."

"It's the third day," the young man said, then he held up his bundle to show spikes hidden in the material."


	18. Chapter 18

Sharon and Andy entered the small interview room and sat down. Across from them sat a woman who called herself Sister Theodore. She seemed just as excited about seeing Joan as she had been when she entered the murder room.

"Sister Theodore, I'm Captain Sharon Raydor and this is Lt. Andy Flynn."

"Oh, nice to meet you. I saw you. I saw you enter the chapel after Joan was found. You looked right at home. I can always tell. I knew you would take good care of her. When can I see her?"

"Um, about that..." Andy started.

"We have to get a few things cleared up before that. What can you tell us about the night Joan died?" Sharon interrupted.

"Oh, many things. What would you like to know?"

"How about you tell us about the events from the beginning. Starting with Maudy Thursday service."

"Oh yes, I can tell you about that. Joan was beautiful as ever. You know, she admitted who she was the night before. I always suspected, but when she let it slip that Christ would come again as a woman, I knew. I knew down to my toes. We had been waiting for so long, and here she was. I always knew God would come again as a woman and I prayed it would be in my lifetime. Oh how I prayed. And the way Joan explained it. And I knew the devil was right beside her saying everything was wrong. The devil temps people, you know. But Jesus didn't give into temptation, and neither did Joan. She smiled and we knew. We knew! And we were right. That devil led her out after the service.

"We were watching. We saw him. He worked his wiles on her and she leaned into him. He lead her away just like the soldiers led Jesus centuries ago. He led her into Gathsemene and he kissed her, just like Judas did before. And he accused her and he tortured her, just like before. She didn't protest, not one bit. She took the torture. It wasn't a crown of thorns and beating this time. Nope. Joan always told us torture to a woman was different that torture to a man, and she was tortured. He took from her what every man tries to take from a woman, and she let him. She didn't fight. And he got mad... he got real mad.

"That devil in his black, he was ready. He put her on the cross, and he banged those spikes into her. He said all sorts of ungodly things to her. Tied her up right good, then he tortured her again. But still she held strong and didn't give him what he wanted.

"I went back to get Sister Paul, and we went back to the garden to get our Lord. She was lying still. The devil was gone but he had finished the job by tying her feet and nailing them to the cross too."

"A cross?" Andy asked. "What did it look like?"

"Oh, it weren't wood like last time. No, this time it was soft white pillows. Can you imagine? Pillows? I guess when you torture a woman like that devil did, it's supposed to be done somewhere soft. Anyway, it was shaped like a cross so that's what mattered.

"Joan was just lying there, beautiful as ever. There was some blood you know, where the devil hurt her, but the rest was pure white like the moon. Sister Paul, she brought Tommy along, he does errands for us. Anyway, we untied Joan's body just like they did Jesus' body, and we took her to get cleaned up. Last time you know, there weren't no women around so the body wasn't done up proper for Easter morning. This time we made sure we did everything just right. We took her clothes off, they were ripped anyway, and cleaned up that blood mess, then Tommy pulled those spikes out. He's a strong boy and he did it like it was nothing. Then we covered her with oil, the way Mary wanted to do the last time but she didn't have the chance. And we put her on the table, just as she said. Christ was the sacrifice. She was looking up to heaven, waiting to see God face to face."

Sharon and Andy looked at each other, then looked back at Sister Theodore you had crossed her hands over her heart and looked almost angelic.

"And then what happened?" Sharon prompted her.

"Then what?" Sister Theodore looked confused. "Then we said a prayer and waited for sunrise on the third day. We didn't know how it would happen, this being a different time in history and all, but we knew the third day she would rise again. So when are we going to get her?"

Trying again, Andy prompted her, "We found the table set for Eucharist."

"Oh that... that was Sister Paul's idea. She thought if we were laying out the sacrifice, we should prepare the table to receive it too."

"She was beside the chalice and patten, not on them."

"Well yes, we couldn't very well have her sitting on the stuff when we still had to collect the blood now, could we?" Sister Theodore looked like they had asked the most ignorant question possible.

"And what blood did you collect?"

"I thought you two understood the way God worked?" Sister Theodore looked at them and balked. "I think I'm done answering your questions. I'm wanting to seem my Lord now."

"Wouldn't it be Lady?" Andy couldn't help ask.

"Christ is Lord of all," she answered, then sat back in her chair, arms crossed. The interview was over.

"You wait here, and thank you for telling us what you witnessed." Sharon said as she and Andy got up and left the room.

Outside the room, Sharon put her hand on her forehead and closed her eyes.

"I wasn't expecting that," Andy started.

"Nor was I, but we still don't have the killer. She didn't say anything about how Joan was sliced through the side."

"Let's see what the others found out."

Sharon nodded and they left to join the others in Electronics where Buzz, Tao and Provenza had been monitoring the other interview with Sister Paul. "Have Julio and Amy had any luck?" Andy asked when they entered.

"They're about as far along as you were. I gotta tell you, Captain," Provenza started, "these nuns are a piece of work. How can anyone watch a rape and assumed murder and think it was predestined?"

"There are many who have thought that through the generations, Lieutenant. These two just happen to be the ones we're dealing with. How about Tommy, has he said anything?"

"Nah, we put him alone in the room as you requested. Tao went it to offer him a drink once, but he wouldn't take it. He's pacing and anxious."

"You think he's the one who will tell us about the cut to her side?" Andy asked.

"He better, Amy and Julio just struck out," Tao announced.

"Lieutenant?" Sharon said as she left the room.

"Yup," Andy followed.

They met Julio and Amy returning from the second interview room. "What did you think?" Sharon asked them immediately.

"Serious whack job, Captain," Amy replied first. "How can you wash a body that's obviously hurting and not call 911? I don't get it."

"We're definitely dealing with delusions, Detective, I'll grant you that. Did you get any sense of who stabbed Joan in the side?"

"My money is on the young man, Tommy, Captain. She seems to think the blood started pouring out on it's own. That's when they put the Chalice and plate on the table. They said it was obvious what God was trying to do." Julio shrugged. "That's all we were able to get. Now Sister Paul is waiting for us to take her to Joan. She's really expecting her to be walking and talking."

"The Second Coming, yes, Sister Theodore was the same way. Okay, Tommy's next. Amy, you come with me. My instincts say he'll talk more easily to women.

Sanchez and Flynn returned to electronics while Raydor and Sykes entered the interview room to speak with their last suspect.

"Hi Tommy, I'm sorry you had to wait," Sharon started.

"S'okay," he mumbled.

"Can we ask you some questions?"

"Sure. Where's Sister Paul?"

"She's fine, she's just down the hall. She wanted us to talk with you before we took all three of you to see Joan."

Tommy looked scared for the first time. "She's alive already, I know that. She moved. I saw her. She was dead then she come back and I made sure she was dead and now she come back again. She's haunting me, isn't she."

"Too easy," Tao said as he watched the monitor.

"I'm not liking this, Flynn. The Captain and Amy went in there looking pretty submissive, and he's getting worked up."

"She'll kill you if you even suggest they can't handle the situation," Sanchez commented.

"Yeah, well let her. You two, get over there outside the door. If it's nothing then you were just getting coffee. If it's something, an extra pair of hands won't hurt. According to the nuns, he pulled spikes out with his bare hands. He's no gentle giant. Put a bug in your ear and get going."

"What's happening?" Sanchez asked as they neared the interview room.

"Not much. The Captain looked in our direction so she wants us to be on alert. I guess she won't kill me after all, just make sure you get in there when I tell you to."

"Right."

Inside the room, Amy and Sharon sat down and asked Tommy to sit down as well. "I like moving," he said. "It helps me think."

"Can you tell us what happened the other night, Tommy. What happened after you and Sister Paul found Joan?"

"She looked kinda eery in the moonlight. There was a fire close by, but I knocked that out with my foot. She was all blue and purple and white. She looked like a ghost. And she was cold, that's how come we knew she was dead. The sisters untied everything and told me to carry her. I never touched nothing dead before, not even my dog when he got run over. I picked her up, but I felt someone watching me. I turned around scared but I didn't see no one.

"Anyway, I went with them into the back door, carrying her body. The sisters washed her up, got rid of the blood that was on her secret place, and they asked me to take out the nails. Good thing they were big, 'cause they came right out like nothing. I put them on the dress so they wouldn't get scratched. They were good nails and I could use them again. I found a whole pile of them out by the fence they built last week. Guess I didn't see these ones when I picked everything up.

"Anyway, once they cleaned her, they found some oil and put it all over her. It spelled bad, but they said it was the good stuff. I don't know about those things. And they kept saying God wanted this to happen and God was keeping promises, and stuff like that. I'm not even sure God is real, but they sure think so.

"Anyway, I carried her into the chapel like they told me and put her on the big table. Then the sisters went back into room on the side to get matches for the candle. Well she moved. She was dead and she moved. I got so scared, I just grabbed my sword and shoved it in her to stop. I wasn't having no back-from-the-dead haunt me like that."

"You have a sword?" Sharon asked. "Do you keep it with you all the time?"

"Nah, it's not safe to have that in daylight. Someone might steal it. I only take it with me when I'm running errands after dark."

"Tommy, why were you at the convent so late? Did you live there?"

"Nah, but sometimes I stay over if I'm going to be out past my curfew. Sister Paul lets me have one of the rooms."

"What were you doing with the Sister so late, Tommy?" Sharon asked kindly.

"I don't feel like talking about it."

"About what, Tommy?"

"I'll get my brother in trouble. I don't want to talk about it."

"It's alright, Tommy."

"No it's not. He's already been in trouble because of it. I don't want to tell you," Tommy was getting more worked up, even though Sharon was trying to calm him. Amy was ready to move but Sharon signaled for her to keep her place.

"You were delivering something you shouldn't have touched, weren't you Tommy. Something Sister Paul asked you to get."

"The devil made her do it," Tommy screamed at her and pounded the table.

"What did the devil look like?"

"He's watching me. I saw him in the tree. He's watching me. He's going to come back and kill me too, I know it. I know it."

Sharon looked at Amy and they both stood. "Did the devil ask for white pills, Tommy?"

"YOU'RE EVIL!" he screamed, pushing the table off to the side and lunging towards Amy, shoving her up against the wall and holding her with his forearm. Sharon couldn't move him as Amy choked and tried to push him off.

Sanchez and Flynn had been waiting on the other side of the door, and didn't need Provenza to tell them things had gotten out of hand. Together the rushed through the door, pulling Tommy from Amy and pushed him over the edge of the table. It took both of them to grab his arms behind his back to place the cuffs. Sharon watched beside a gasping Amy.


	19. Chapter 19

"I thought for sure he'd go after you, Captain," Sykes said from her desk, holding an icepack to her neck.

"Why is that?" Sharon looked perplexed and felt guilty every time she saw Amy's bruise.

"You were asking all the questions. I wasn't thinking about how to defend myself, I was thinking how to defend you when he finally made his move."

"Well as noble as that sounds, you should have been thinking about yourself as well. I certainly was."

"You were thinking more of me than you too, weren't you," Amy smiled knowingly.

Sharon just looked at her and smiled, then continued packing the evidence box in front of her. Pictures of the crime scene along with the rope and spikes were placed inside.

"What happened in the morgue?" Sharon asked when she saw Flynn and Provenza return to the murder room. After the episode with Tommy, Sharon didn't want to leave Amy, so she asked then to escort the nuns downstairs.

"Just about what you'd expect. Denial at first, then it sunk in a little, but when the doctor told them she would still be alive if they'd called 911, they were pretty devastated. We called some help for them. Some people from their former convent came to get them. I don't know if they'll ever recover from this one. First to have their beliefs in the new Messiah dashed, and then to know they were accomplices after the fact in her death. I don't know what the DA is going to do with them, but it's not going to be easy."

"They could always plead insanity," Tao offered.

"Don't see that happening," Flynn shook his head. "And Sister Paul has that added problem of dealing on the side."

"If they were both sampling the merchandise, that would explain a lot," Tao noted.

"Yes, it would Lieutenant, but it would only add to their criminal guilt, not remove it. Those women knowingly and willingly traded in illegal drugs and stood by while a woman was raped, tortured and murdered. I can't see the DA ignoring any of that. If they weren't in shock, DDA Hobbs would have been dealing with them today as well. As it is, we have the murderer in custody and he won't be facing a trial either."

"What deal did he get?" Provenza asked begrudgingly.

"Not much of a deal. He's being sent for a psychiatric assessment then if he's cleared, he'll be charged with second degree murder, trafficking in illegal substances, conspiring to cause bodily harm, and whatever else Andrea can think to add to the list. This was a crime that could have been stopped so many times before it actually happened, and it wasn't."

"Yeah, but we can say that about almost every homicide we deal with, Captain," Flynn pointed out.

"While that's true, Lieutenant, this one happened at a convent full of people who had come looking for something meaningful in their lives, and everyone involved added to the corruption. No one lived up to their faith. Even Joan left those women thinking she was a different person than she really was."

"That's sounding suspiciously like blaming the victim, Captain," Provenza said as he leaned back in his chair.

"Not at all, Lieutenant. Joan didn't ask for any of this, but she did set the stage in some ways. She had no idea this is where things would go, however. No, she's not to blame, but she paid for underestimating her own choices. Put that many disenfranchised, vulnerable, easily manipulated people in one room, and treat them as if they were her equals without any checks and balances for protection or monitoring, and she helped create a situation that ultimately lead to her death."

"And what do we say about Fr. Jimmy? Joan sure knew how to pick them."

"He was just as disenfranchised and easily manipulated as the rest."

"So who's ultimately to blame, Captain?" Amy asked. "Tommy is mentally unbalanced, the sisters are delusional, Jimmy was driven by rage, and Joan was careless."

"Does it really matter? It was a powder keg waiting to explode," Flynn answered. "Who really knows a situation like this could have been avoided."

"Mmm," Sharon nodded, placing Joan's copy of Mary's book in the box.


End file.
